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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27507391">books and volleyballs</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphxus/pseuds/orphxus'>orphxus</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Dancer Oikawa Tooru, Eventual Smut, First Kiss, Fluff and Angst, Getting Together, M/M, Making Out, Mutual Pining, Social Anxiety, Some angst, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, athlete!bokuto, daisuga if you squint - Freeform, everyone goes to fukurodani, literally just fluff, mostly just akaashi overthinking, sooo much fluff, sort of slow burn but not really, tutor x athlete au, tutor!akaashi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-08 03:35:36</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>39,981</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27507391</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphxus/pseuds/orphxus</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>akaashi keiji leads a boring, dull life. his parents have expectations, he lives up to them. nothing fun or exciting ever happens. that is, until a certain volleyball player needs a tutor, and akaashi needs the extra credit.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou, Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>134</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. one</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>this is my first fic everrr sorry if it’s not that good!! but i really love it. also updates will be sort of inconsistent because writers block sucks :D</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">kick. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akaashi immediately turned around to whoever was behind him, and whoever was still immature enough as a second year to kick chairs. he furrowed his eyebrows when his eyes landed on his classmate, konoha, who seemed focused on his writing, and not at all grinning or laughing at akaashi. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">he sighed and turned back around, picking his pencil back up and continued writing. it was silent in the classroom, and class was still going on for another twenty minutes. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">then, another kick. he grimaced at the jolt against his chair, and turned around again, furrowing his eyebrows at konoha, who now had a small smirk playing at his lips. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“could you maybe not?” akaashi shot him a glare, pursing his lips as he waited for the boy to reply. konoha looked up, and gave him an innocent look, leaning in closer to akaashi. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“could i not what? i’m just writing notes, akaashi-chan.” konoha shrugged, smiling smugly as he looked back down at his notes. akaashi rolled his eyes, but right when he was about to open his mouth to say something, konoha decided to end the conversation right there before akaashi could even reply, and continued writing.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akaashi let out out a heavy sigh and turned back around. he didn’t even have a chance to pick up his pencil before he felt another kick at the back of his chair, his eyes widening at the sound of konoha’s shoe against the metal chair leg. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">he quickly turned around. “knock it off, konoha.” he whispered harshly as he pressed his lips into a firm frown, which only made konoha laugh, and loudly.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“is there any reason you’re disrupting class, akaashi-kun?” the sharp voice he recognized as his teacher quickly brought his attention back to the front of the room, his face falling from the frown to his usual deadpan, despite the fact that his anxiety was shooting through the roof. he’d become very good at hiding his emotions and thoughts throughout the years.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“no, sensei. sorry.” he spoke calmly, sitting up straight and correcting his posture. she simply nodded, giving him a warning look before sitting back down at her desk. akaashi turned a bit to shoot konoha another glare before focusing again on his work. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">not even after three minutes, once again, he felt the familiar kick from behind. “konoha! i swear–“</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akaashi didn’t mean to raise his voice, even if it wasn’t by much, but he was seriously irritated now. did konoha have nothing better to do but to bother him? </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“akaashi-kun! see me after class.” the teacher scolded him. his eyes widened when he turned back around, a knot forming in his throat. shit. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“yes, sensei.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">if he wasn’t pissed before, he definitely was now. he’s never received a bad mark or detention in all of his years at school. he’s always had the best grades, he’d always been the top of his classes, and he’s never gotten called out in front of the class before. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">if this were a cartoon, steam would be coming out of his ears. he tapped his foot against the tile floor at a quickened beat as he waited for class to end, his knee bouncing up and down. he had many scenarios going through his head. detention, suspension, expulsion. he tended to overthink when he was anxious, and that’s when the intrusive thoughts would come in. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">when the bell rang, he waited for his surrounding classmates to get up and leave. konoha, from behind, kicked him one more time for good measure, and then winked as he walked past him. akaashi gave him a death glare the entire time he was leaving. once everyone was gone and he was the last student left in the classroom, he got up and walked over to his teachers desk at the front of the room, holding his binders tightly against his chest. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“sensei, i’m so sorry.” he quickly stated before she even started reprimanding him. he was expecting to hear ‘i expected better from you, akaashi-kun’ or ‘your mother won’t be too pleased to hear this, akaashi-kun,’ but what she did say caught him completely by surprise. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“akaashi-kun, i don’t care enough for an explanation. but, since i know you don’t want this on your record, i’ll let you make it up.” she began explaining. she gestured for the boy in front of her to sit down, and akaashi did so promptly. “there’s a student in one of my lower classes who needs help. it’s not a big deal, you’ll just be tutoring him for a few months until his grades kick back up.” she continued, cracking her knuckles as she grabbed a file from her lower desk drawer, and placed it on the table in front of akaashi. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“sensei? i mean no disrespect, but shouldn’t he be tutored by someone... you know, professional?” akaashi raised an eyebrow as he leaned closer over the table and opened the file, reading the name. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">‘bokuto koutarou,’ he read inside his mind. yeah, he’s definitely heard that name before. he was a jock. more specifically, the ace of the school volleyball team. great, this was just what he needed. on top of focusing on colleges and the super stressful pressure he received from his parents all the time, he now had to tutor a dumb jock, who has probably been hit one too many times in the head with a volleyball to even know how to spell his own name.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">...okay that was harsh, but it was just how he felt about sports. most of the sporty guys at his school were loud and rowdy, which was the very opposite of akaashi. he was a very quiet and reserved person, who preferred to be in a quiet, calm environment. his school was known for its academics, but it was also known throughout the volleyball world as one of the top powerhouse teams. it was a win-lose situation. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“akaashi-kun,” his teacher smiled. “you’re more than qualified to tutor this boy. you’re probably more qualified than professional tutors, given your intelligence.” she reassured him, sitting back in her chair. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akaashi sighed as he skimmed through the file. yep, everything in there was as he expected. low marks, multiple detentions, but he was surprised by a note from the coach of the team, which read that bokuto koutarou was a very smart student, he just doesn’t apply himself the way he does to volleyball, and needs someone who can help him not only get better grades, but help motivate him to do better. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akaashi was a little confused as to why his teacher would choose him for this job. he was known to keep to himself, and stay focused on his studies, not caring too much to socialize with others. but it wasn’t just his studies that occupied his time, he had an anxiety disorder that made it very hard for him to function in any social situation without feeling nervous. it was one of the reasons why he kept a calm and reserved facade all the time. he figured if he was quiet and kept to himself, nobody would approach him, and it worked. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">he didn’t have many friends. he only had three, and that was only because he grew up with them, and for some reason, they haven’t dropped him. they all functioned well in social situations, unlike akaashi. most of the time it felt like he was just tagging along whenever he hung out with them, even though they were his best friends. he mostly just stayed in the background and followed them around, but when they were spending time alone, just the three of them, he was more open. he’s always been like this, he couldn’t remember a time where he wasn’t. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akaashi closed the file and let out a small sigh, looking back up at his teacher. “when do i start?” he asked. he was already regretting this, and he hasn’t even started yet. he hasn’t even met bokuto, but he already knew what he would be like. one of the three friends was iwaizumi hajime. and from what iwaizumi said about him, he gathered that bokuto was a very energetic and loud person, which was the exact kind of person akaashi always avoided. but now, for the next few months, he was stuck tutoring him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“hm.. well, today how about after his practice? it ends around 5pm. you can come back to the school and meet in the library. then, the two of you can create a schedule.” she explained, pulling out an agenda and a pen. “if bokuto’s grade goes up from his current C to an A, you’ll be free to go.” she told him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akaashi stared at her for a moment, his mouth taped open. how the hell was he supposed to do that? he wasn’t a miracle worker. the volleyball coach mentioned that bokuto was smart, but if he had a C right now, just how smart was he? and he was in a lower class, too. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“sounds fine, sensei.” he nodded slowly, keeping his thoughts to himself. he didn’t want to disappoint his teacher. he actually had very good relationships with his teachers more than his classmates and students around him. he wasn’t sure why. maybe it was the maturity level they shared. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“thank you, akaashi-kun. you’re free to go.” she gave him another smile, standing up when students began walking into the classroom. akaashi stood up and bowed, turning around to walk before he spun back around. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“can you write a late note, sensei?” he asked, grabbing his books, and with a sigh, placing bokuto’s file on top of them before he held them against his chest again. his teacher nodded and ripped off a sticky note, scribbling her signature before handing it to akaashi. he took it and thanked her again before walking out of the classroom, ignoring the stares he received from the underclassmen as he made his way into the hallway.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">———</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“oooh, tutoring a hot volleyball player! it’s your dream come true, akaash.” his friend, sugawara, teased from across the table. akaashi ignored him and unwrapped his lunch, revealing a small bento box he had packed for himself. he grabbed his chopsticks and looked up at suga, glaring at him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“please. i’m not looking forward to this at all.” he shook his head as he began eating, covering his mouth as he took a big bite of his lunch. suga simply giggled, and started eating his own lunch. “and it’s undecided if he’s hot or not.” akaashi quipped, earning a snort from suga.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“KOUSHI, KEIJI!!” a loud voice from behind their table rang throughout the cafeteria, earning a few stares. akaashi grimaced as he was pulled into a tight hug from behind. akaashi placed a hand on oikawa’s arm, tapping him to show that if he hugged him for a few more seconds, he would stop breathing. “sorry,” he giggled, pulling away before sitting down across from him, next to sugawara. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">iwaizumi followed and sat down next to akaashi, giving him a small smile. akaashi nodded in return and continued eating. his friends knew he wasn’t being rude when he wouldn’t smile back, it was just not very common that he ever smiled at all, even if it was small. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“i heard you’re tutoring bokuto-san?” iwaizumi raised an eyebrow at akaashi, which just made suga start laughing harder. akaashi rolled his eyes, looking down at his hands in his lap. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“oooh, you’re tutoring bokuto-san?” oikawa asked, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. iwaizumi shot him a glare, and oikawa smiled, raising his hands up in defeat. “i said nothing!” he laughed. akaashi simply ignored him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“yes.. how do you know already? it hasn’t even been an hour.” akaashi asked, ignoring the smug looks on oikawa and sugawara’s faces. he looked back up at iwaizumi. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“bokuto-san told me, and asked who you were. i said you were oikawa’s friend, and then showed him a picture of you.” iwaizumi explained, pulling out a small polaroid he kept in his wallet of him, akaashi, suga and oikawa together at tokyo tower. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akaashi’s eyes widened and he leaned in closer to get a better look at the picture. he cringed internally at the fake smile displayed upon his face in the photo. “what did he say?” he asked. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">oikawa raised an eyebrow at akaashi, surprised to see how intrigued he was. he nudged suga slightly, and gestured for him to watch akaashi and iwaizumi talking. suga looked at them for a few seconds and then chuckled. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“do you think he has a crush?” suga whispered, a smile growing at the corners of his lips. oikawa returned the smile, and turned back to akaashi, who was still talking with iwaizumi. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“hm.. i don’t know. akaash hasn’t even met bokuto-san yet.” he laughed a bit, and covered his mouth immediately when iwaizumi and akaashi both turned to stare at him with questioning looks on their faces. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“are you talking about us?” iwaizumi asked, a serious tone ringing throughout his voice. oikawa quickly raised his hands up and shook his head, letting out another laugh nervously. akaashi looked annoyed, but that wasn’t anything new. he set down the chopsticks and cracked his knuckles individually, earning a few winces from suga. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“you know you can get arthritis from doing that?” suga raised an eyebrow at akaashi, taking a bite of his lunch. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“that’s not scientifically proven yet.” akaashi shook his head and stopped playing with his fingers, picking up his chopsticks again and continued to eat his lunch. it was a bad habit of his, cracking his knuckles. he’s been doing it for years, and he couldn’t seem to stop. it was satisfying to him, but it grossed other people out, and he knew it. fidgeting with his fingers and cracking his knuckles came along with his anxiety. he originally started doing it to focus his mind on something else when he was feeling anxious, but then it became a habit. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“i still think it’s bad for you,” suga nodded, and finished his lunch. he packed everything up and leaned on his elbows, resting his face in the palms of his hands, grinning wide up at akaashi. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akaashi raised an eyebrow at him, giving him a suspicious look. “what’re you smiling at me like that for?” he asked, and looked away from him. oikawa and iwaizumi were caught up in their own conversation. iwaizumi was blushing and looked pretty flustered, so it was easy to assume oikawa was teasing and flirting with him. it was funny to see how their relationship dynamic switched so much, sometimes it would be iwaizumi who was making oikawa blush, sometimes it was oikawa. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">he sort of felt jealous at just how much they loved each other. they’ve been dating for a long time, since they were in middle school. akaashi, oikawa, iwaizumi and suga all grew up together, and they’ve been their own group for years. once in a while, someone new will sometimes make an appearance for a few months, but in the end, it was always the four of them, and akaashi couldn’t be more thankful for that. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">he didn’t like making new friends. even when his three friends would make more friends, he never made an effort to get to know them. suga and oikawa were friends with most of the guys on iwaizumi’s volleyball team, including bokuto, and whenever they came over to their lunch table or decided to tag along whenever they hung out, he never spoke to them. he usually even tried to avoid any eye contact at all. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“i’m just excited for you to meet bokuto-san. you need to make some new friends. and maybe, who knows? he could become more than a friend.” suga giggled, shooting him a playful wink. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akaashi shook his head. “i don’t need new friends, i have you. and i especially don’t need a boyfriend.” he told him, letting out an exasperated sigh. well, technically, he didn’t really know if he needed a boyfriend or not, he’s never had a real one before. he’s had a girlfriend, and that lasted for about five minutes before she found out they had something very similar in common, they both liked guys. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">he still felt the same way, though. anyone would think that he would need some new friends, since he’s had the same three since he was little. but he didn’t want any new friends. he was happy with his little circle, and he really didn’t want a boyfriend. sure, the idea was nice, having someone to depend on.. someone to hold hands with, someone to go on fun dates with. but he needed to focus on his studies if he wanted to go to college and actually make it in the world. or, at least that’s what his parents have always said and pressured him to do.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“jeez, keiji, i can hear you overthinking.” suga chuckled, before grabbing akaashi’s hands from across the table. he leaned in close, and made sure to make eye contact. “you need to live a little, kaashi-kun! stop worrying about what your parents want and for once do something you want.” he told him, giving him a sincere smile. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akaashi sighed and looked away from him, and stared down at his shoes. he felt slightly uncomfortable. he’s always done what his overly strict, and mildly abusive parents have told him to. if he didn’t behave well, or get a good grade, he would get ridiculed, or sometimes they would hit him. he didn’t think much of it, though. it’s been that way since he was young, he was used to it. he could never tell any of his friends about it though.. the three of them were super protective over him, who knows what they would do. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“you’re doing it again.” suga squeezed his hands. akaashi looked up at him, slightly startled. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“doing what?” he raised an eyebrow, answering his question mentally a few seconds later. he let out a deep breath, and looked away again. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“overthinking! keiji, please. you know i was just teasing about bokuto-san. i mean, we don’t even know if he likes guys.” suga laughed a bit, squeezing his hands again. “now give me a smile.” he grinned widely, leaning in closer. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akaashi stared at him with his usual deadpan. suga raised his eyebrows expectantly, letting out a small hum for him to smile, which only earned an eye roll. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“close enough for me!” suga smiled and let go of his hands, clapping his own hands together. he turned to oikawa and iwaizumi, who were now sitting next to each other, whispering to each other and laughing quietly. he sighed happily, and all akaashi could think of was to compare him to a happy mother watching her child on their wedding day.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">the bell rang, and akaashi stood up, running a hand through his hair as he stretched out his legs, grimacing as his knees cracked, earning a few incoherent mumbles from under suga’s breath. he let out a small chuckle, and pushed his chair into the table. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">all akaashi could think about was how in a few hours, he would have to go meet bokuto in the library. it only dawned on him after his friends had left the cafeteria and he was alone that he should’ve asked about bokuto, but it was too late. he just had to get to know him himself now. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">———</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akaashi was sat in the school library, his eyes frozen to the entrance, waiting to see when bokuto would walk through the doors. he had no clue what he even looked like, he would just have to rely on the chance that bokuto would recognize him from the picture iwaizumi showed him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">nearly ten minutes pass by, and he was still alone. maybe bokuto forgot? he wouldn’t be surprised if he did. after all, akaashi’s impression of jocks was that they were all dumb. he wouldn’t be surprised if bokuto was dumb enough to forget their meeting. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">he really needed to stop that impression, and stop judging bokuto before he even met him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">suddenly, the library doors opened loudly, earning several glares from other studying students, and even a harsh “shhh!” from the old librarian sat behind the counter. before the doors stood a boy with crazy, untamed white and grey hair, along with a pair of wild golden eyes. a towel sat atop of his shoulders, and he looked like he was freshly out of the shower from the way his t-shirt stuck to his skin. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“sorry!” the boy apologized, still not aware of how loud he was. he turned away from the librarian and looked around the library until his golden eyes landed on akaashi, a wide grin appearing on his face. akaashi sat up when he began walking over to the table he was sat at, a knot forming in his throat. “akaashi, right?” he asked, his voice booming throughout the room, yet he was still oblivious to the stares from others surrounding them. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“yes.” akaashi nodded, unsure of what else to do. to put it lightly, he was socially inept. but either bokuto wasn’t bothered by this, or he didn’t even notice. he sat down across from akaashi, still smiling at him, his eyes locked onto his. the eye contact was so intense, it made akaashi’s skin crawl. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“i’m bokuto!” he stuck his hand out, maintaining the eye contact. akaashi hesitated for a second before taking his hand and shaking it firmly. he couldn’t help but tear his eyes away from bokuto’s notice how large his hand was, and how it seemed to engulf his own hand. when akaashi looked back up at bokuto, he stiffened up when he saw that he never took his eyes off of him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“nice to meet you, bokuto-san.” akaashi slipped his hand away from bokuto’s. when he wiped his hands against his pants, he noticed that he was sweating more than usual, and he couldn’t seem to figure out why. why was bokuto was making him so nervous? it was probably because he didn’t know him. it also probably had to do with the fact that bokuto was staring at him with such an intensity, he wasn’t sure if he had something in his teeth, or if this was just a normal thing for him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“you too!” bokuto hummed. the smile plastered across his face never seemed to disappear. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">there was a bit of an awkward silence between the two of them, with bokuto staring endlessly at akaashi, and akaashi just sitting there, aware of the stare, but never managing to meet his eyes back, because when he did, he always felt a chill go through his body. bokuto’s eyes were wide and incredibly golden yellow, it made akaashi want to just stare into them for hours. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“so.. i was thinking we should start with the missing assignments you have.” akaashi began, pulling out the file his teacher had made for him. the smile on bokuto’s face finally disappeared once they started talking about school. “you only have three, so once we get those done, i can help you with the current stuff.” he explained, closing the file and looking back up at bokuto. he was surprised to see the excited expression gone as bokuto nodded. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“you’re very serious, aren’t you?” bokuto asked. the question was so out of nowhere that it caught akaashi off guard, which seemed to make bokuto smile. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“i’m not sure what you mean, bokuto-san,” was all he could think to reply with. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“it’s just that within the ten minutes i’ve known you, i can tell you take everything really seriously. especially schoolwork.” he explained. akaashi wasn’t sure how to reply to that, he was surprised bokuto was able to read him so well, even though he’s barely said a thing to him. and the way that bokuto sounded so proud made him a bit uneasy.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akaashi shrugged, looking away from him. “i guess so. i’ve always been.” he told him, avoiding eye contact. he could feel bokuto’s eyes boring into him. he stared down at his shoes, chewing on his lip. he’s been serious about schoolwork ever since he started school, even elementary school. it’s not like he liked it, but it wasn’t really his choice. his parents have been pressuring him to do well in school ever since he learned how to read. he was always the top of his class, he always had the best grades and scores. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“sorry, i didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable or offend you.” bokuto quickly said, giving him an apologetic look. akaashi looked up at him and raise a hand, waving it off. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“don’t worry,” he shook his head. bokuto’s worried expression melted into a small smile, it was so gentle and so soft, it almost made akaashi smile, which said a lot, considering he didn’t smile very often. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akaashi stared at him, keeping his usual deadpan, but bokuto didn’t seem bothered by it at all. “..before we begin, i think it would be good to make a schedule for when we should meet.” he told bokuto as he pulled out a small book planner. he grabbed a pencil from his backpack and opened up the planner. “i’m free tuesdays and fridays, if that works for you?” he asked, looking back up at bokuto from the planner. his eyes widened when he saw bokuto staring straight at him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“that works perfectly, actually! those are my days off from volleyball practice.” bokuto explained, grinning widely. he sat up, and akaashi couldn’t help but notice how his t-shirt tightened around his chest every time bokuto moved. he didn’t notice his cheeks burning up until he was met with bokuto’s wide eyes again. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akaashi quickly nodded and wrote down study appointments on tuesday’s and fridays in his planner, and then put the book away into his backpack. “do you want to start today or next tuesday?” he asked, looking back up at bokuto. he probably won’t ever get used to the intense eye contact bokuto always held. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“let’s start next week.” bokuto nodded, leaning closer over the table. akaashi nodded and stood up, reaching over the table to start packing up, but stopped abruptly when bokuto put a hand on top of his. he furrowed his eyebrows, accidentally locking his eyes with bokuto’s. he felt his cheeks heat up, and went to pull his hand away, but that only seemed to make bokuto tighten his grip. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“i don’t wanna start the *tutoring* yet, but i still wanna get to know you first!” he exclaimed. once he noticed akaashi looked a little tense and uncomfortable, he let go of his hand. akaashi quickly brought his hand down to his lap, and wiped it against his pants. he didn’t notice how sweaty his hands had become. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“you want to get to know me?” akaashi asked. he was just confused now. bokuto was a popular volleyball jock who had a ton of friends already. he figured they would just have a strict, tutor and student only relationship. he didn’t think that bokuto would actually want to get to know him. besides, he wasn’t that interesting at all. all his life, he’s only focused on his schoolwork and the future, and what it would mean for him. he’s never really focused on the present. he didn’t have any hobbies, he only had three friends, and his family life wasn’t that interesting. his parents had their expectations, and he lived up to them. that was pretty much it. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“of course! i don’t want you to just be my tutor, i want you to be my friend! iwaizumi told me about you.” bokuto grinned, and the sight of akaashi blushing from that statement seemed to make him grin wider. akaashi gave him a small shrug. he didn’t know why he was flustered. when someone wanted to be his friend, which wasn’t often, he was anxious or just uncomfortable. but he was blushing, and fidgeting with his hands. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">he shifted in his seat, avoiding eye contact with bokuto. “what did he say?” he asked before he could stop himself. he wasn’t sure if he wanted to know what iwaizumi had told bokuto about him. he knew that it would be good things, considering the fact they’ve been friends for years but still, he couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">bokuto let out a laugh. “don’t worry, all good things. he basically told me that you’re really smart and nice! he also said that you could use a little fun and excitement, so you happen to be in luck, because i’m the perfect guy for that!” he explained, the grin growing impossibly wider. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akaashi raised an eyebrow before shaking his head. “you really don’t have to do that, bokuto-san.” he told him. he wasn’t really sure what bokuto meant by a little fun and excitement, but he wasn’t even sure if he wanted to find out. he was perfectly fine with the way his life was now. he had his friends, and he lived up to his parents expectations, and that was it. that’s always been it. he wasn’t used to any other change. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">“nope!” bokuto quipped cheerfully. it seemed that akaashi’s passive and distant mood wasn’t affecting him at all, that or he just didn’t notice. “iwaizumi </span> <span class="s2">insisted </span> <span class="s1">on it!” he let out a laugh. akaashi could feel his cheeks heating up again just from the sound of bokuto’s laugh. it sounded so full, and so.. happy. </span></p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akaashi just shrugged, he didn’t know how to respond. he was never the best at carrying a conversation, he was never the best with social interactions to begin with, unless he was talking to his friends. he stared down at his lap, fidgeting with his hands. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">bokuto began to notice that akaashi was a little uncomfortable. he frowned for a second, trying to figure out what to do to make him feel better, until he perked his head up with a bright smile. “how about we get out of here!?” he asked excitedly. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akaashi looked up at him. he knew that he was boring, that he wasn’t responding correctly to bokuto’s energy, and still, he wanted to spend time with him outside of tutoring? either bokuto genuinely was kind of dumb, or just a really nice person. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“please?” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">he wasn’t sure if it was the way bokuto’s golden eyes looked when he asked, or the tone in his voice, but akaashi felt himself wanting to melt. bokuto sounded so.. innocent, and genuine when he asked. so sincere, like a little kid asking their parent for ice cream. and those eyes.. god, those eyes. bokuto’s eyes were going to be the death of akaashi, and he hasn’t even known the boy for more than fifteen minutes. and that’s why he found himself saying, “sure, bokuto-san.” he nodded, standing up again, but this time bokuto didn’t grab his arm to pull him back down, he stood up with him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">akaashi slung his bag over his shoulder and pushed his chair into the table, and stared down at his shoes for a few seconds before looking up at bokuto, who was even taller standing up. and it wasn’t just that he was tall, it was how </span> <span class="s2">big </span> <span class="s1">he was. bokuto was all muscle, and it made him look even bigger than he was. and for some reason, akaashi couldn’t take his eyes off of his biceps. bokuto seemed to notice this, because he was smiling wide when he saw where he was staring. akaashi quickly looked away from his arms and back up at bokuto’s face. the smile never disappeared. </span></p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“so where are we going?” he asked, tightening his grip when bokuto locked his eyes with him for not even a split second before looking he began walking out of the library, assuming akaashi would follow, which he did. he walked behind him, until bokuto slowed down to walk side by side. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“i thought we could go get some ice cream, if that’s alright with you! oh no, you’re not lactose intolerant are you?! maybe we could do something else if you are–“ bokuto began to ramble, tugging on the ends of his hair a bit. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“don’t worry, bokuto-san, i’m not lactose intolerant.” akaashi cut him off, chuckling a bit as he placed a hand on his shoulder to assure him. his fingers subconsciously trailed down to feel his bicep for a second before his eyes widened at the action, and he quickly pulled his hand back, turning his head to face away from bokuto, hopefully hiding the bright pink blush that sported on his cheeks.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“oh, good!” bokuto let out another loud laugh, ignoring the glare the librarian shot at him as they walked out of the library. akaashi gave her an apologetic look before looking up at bokuto. he was so perplexed by his constant energy, and he couldn’t help but wonder if it was all for show, or if he really was just that energetic and happy. if it was the latter, he envied him deeply. he would give anything to be that happy and carefree. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">once they were out of the library and walking down the hallway, akaashi spotted suga and oikawa sitting on the floor, with two textbooks in front of them, although they weren’t reading, they were both scrolling through their phones. as they walked closer, suga looked up and grinned widely when he saw akaashi walking beside bokuto, who was humming to himself, looking over at akaashi every few seconds to make sure he was still with him, as if he would just walk away. suga nudged oikawa to look up, and when he did, he let out a dramatic gasp before covering his mouth. he sent akaashi a suggestive wink, and akaashi simply glared back at him in return, which only made both of the boys giggle like school girls. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akaashi let out a small sigh in relief once the two boys were out of his eyesight, but he knew no doubt that they were still staring at him as he and bokuto walked out of the school. luckily, bokuto didn’t seem to notice his friends teasing. “are we walking there?” he asked, turning to look at bokuto. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">bokuto looked at him and smiled. “i figured we could drive there, if that’s alright with you!” he said as he pulled out his car keys from his pocket, and pointed to the parking lot. he pressed a button on the key fob, and akaashi scanned his eyes across the parking lot until he spotted his car, a shiny black truck. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">once they reached the truck, akaashi reached over to open the door to the passenger seat, but bokuto quickly ran in front of him to open it before he could, grinning widely at him. akaashi just let out a small laugh, covering his mouth to hide his smile before climbing into the car, setting his bag on the floor beside his feet. “thank you, bokuto-san.” he said once bokuto had also gotten into the car. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“no problem!” bokuto hummed, starting the car up. heat took over the cold air once the car was on. akaashi felt his seat heat up against his back. “i put your heat seater on, if that’s okay! it’s cold outside.” he was always smiling. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akaashi shrugged. “it’s fine, thank you bokuto-san.” he said as he buckled in. he stared out the window, and raised an eyebrow at how high up from the ground they were. the truck had pretty high wheels. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">despite how he was feeling before, after meeting bokuto, he was sort of excited to spend time with him. if just sitting across from him was exciting, he couldn’t imagine what getting ice cream with him would be like. but then again, he didn’t have to imagine, because soon he would be experiencing it. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. two</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>ice cream and roses</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>i think i’ll be posting maybe once a week! but i’m super writers blocked rn, i haven’t even started chapter four yet.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">one thing akaashi had learned while spending time with bokuto was to never expect a boring time. because as dull as riding to the ice cream shop sounded, it was probably one of the most fun things akaashi has done in a while. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">bokuto had the car windows rolled down, and the radio blasting loudly throughout the car. he was shouting and singing along to the songs, and trying his best to make akaashi smile and laugh. and it was working. akaashi found himself giggling and laughing endlessly, and bokuto would look at him with a huge, proud grin. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">it wasn’t easy for akaashi to smile, but right now he couldn’t stop. bokuto was doing everything he could while paying attention to the road to make akaashi smile and laugh. he would lean in close to his ear and whisper the lyrics before singing loudly, or stick his hand out of the window while driving with his free hand. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">it felt like he’d known bokuto his entire life, despite only knowing him for less than an hour. he was incredibly easy to talk to, and to spend time with. akaashi expected the outing to be awkward since the two of them barely knew each other, and yet, he found that he and bokuto had established an immediate trust and relationship. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">once bokuto parked, they both had calmed down a bit, but he still had a gigantic grin on his face, and akaashi couldn’t help but return it with a small, shy smile. even with his friends, he hasn’t laughed like that ever. he felt loose.. free. he didn’t think about his parents expectations once while he was with bokuto. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“ready?” he asked, shutting the car off once the song ended. despite having calmed down, bokuto still had energy radiating off of him, and akaashi could feel it. he gave him a simple nod before reaching to open the door. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“nope! no, i’ll open it for you!” bokuto quickly exclaimed before sliding out of the drivers seat. akaashi pulled his hand away, and looked at bokuto running over to the passenger side, opening the door for him, smiling impossibly wide at him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akaashi couldn’t help but let out a tiny laugh, which he covered his mouth when he did, trying to hide it. “thank you, bokuto-san.” he said as he stepped out of the truck, wincing a bit when his feet didn’t touch the ground. he’d forgotten just how high the truck was from the ground, and he lost his balance a bit. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">bokuto’s eyes widened and he grabbed into akaashi’s waist to keep him balanced and standing up. “woah! are you okay?” he asked. akaashi looked up at him, and was met with bokuto’s wide golden eyes, his pupils dilated bigger than he had expected. he felt his cheeks heating up when bokuto didn’t let go of him even after he found his balance. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“i’m fine, bokuto-san.”he nodded, clearing his throat a bit to make sure he didn’t sound as flustered as he really was. once he answered, bokuto let go of his waist, and stood up straight, keeping his eyes on akaashi. akaashi suppressed the urge to bring his hands back. the sudden unwelcome coldness he felt when bokuto removed his hands made him shiver a bit. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">bokuto stayed there for a few seconds before the smile returned on his face. “okay, then let’s go!” he cheered, grabbing akaashi’s wrist to tug him along as he started walking towards the shop. akaashi stumbled a bit but caught up with his pace, and stared down at bokuto’s hand, which was wrapped around his wrist. even from just feeling his hand, it seemed that bokuto was always warm. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">they walked into the shop. the jingle from the chimes on top of the door startled akaashi out of his thoughts, and he jumped slightly, looking around with wide eyes. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">bokuto let out a hearty laugh. “you’re so jumpy! is everything okay? it’s just ice cream!” he looked down and smiled at him. they didn’t have that big of a height difference, but the fact that bokuto was so muscular and large made him look impossibly bigger. akaashi quickly nodded, giving him a small smile to assure he was fine. bokuto shrugged and walked over to the counter. he didn’t let go of his wrist once. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">he scanned his eyes over the selection of flavours, scrunching his eyebrows up at some of the more.. odd flavours. “they have a charcoal ice cream?” he asked, but he was mostly talking to himself. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">bokuto laughed. “yep! my friend works here, and he always comes up with these super crazy flavours!” he told akaashi, smiling proudly. akaashi nodded for him to continue. “of course they have the normal flavours like vanilla, chocolate, matcha.. but it’s the fun ones that taste the best, trust me!” he said while pointing to a few more flavours. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">lavender ice cream. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">tofu ice cream. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">soy sauce ice cream. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">wasabi ice cream?!</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“you can’t be serious.” akaashi laughed, accidentally letting out a tiny snort. he quickly covered his face with his hands when bokuto looked over at him, hoping he couldn’t see how red his face was. but he could, and it made him start laughing, which started up akaashi’s laughter again. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">their laughter was cut off when the door behind the counter opened. a boy with an unamused look on his face walked in. he had bleach blonde hair, with his roots showing at the top. he was wearing a white apron above a red sweatshirt, and in one of his hands, he held a nintendo switch. once he caught sight of bokuto, his unamused look was exchanged for one of annoyance. “oh boy,” he mumbled, before walking out the back door again without an explanation. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akaashi furrowed his eyebrows and looked over to bokuto, who was still smiling. “what was that about? was that your friend?” he asked. he was surprised to see that he looked so annoyed with bokuto, even from one glance. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“ahh, no! well i mean– i am friends with him, but he’s my bestfriends boyfriend.kuroo, the one i told you about, he makes all the crazy flavours.” he explained. he looked proud while he spoke about kuroo. akaashi thought it was all sweet how he boasted about his friend and his unique concoctions of ice cream flavours, as odd as that sounds.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">the door behind the counter opened again, and this time, a taller boy walked in. his black hair was even crazier than bokuto’s, it was spiky and unruly, and covered his left eye almost completely. he wore a huge grin on his face, it was almost creepy looking. “bo!” he shouted and raised his arms up. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">bokuto let out another hearty laugh, raising his arms up as well. “kuroo! see, akaashi, this is kuroo!” he exclaimed loudly, pointing to kuroo over the counter. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akaashi looked over at kuroo and gave him a simple nod. his smile had disappeared, and he was suddenly feeling shy again. the presence of bokuto was comforting, but he was interacting with another stranger. two in one day was a lot. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“ahh, kuroo, this is akaashi! he’s the tutor iwaizumi told us about during practice.” he introduced him, wrapping an arm around akaashi’s shoulders, squeezing him slightly. akaashi tensed up under his touch, but relaxed when bokuto loosened up his grip. he didn’t let go, and akaashi was somewhat grateful, feeling bokuto’s touch was somehow calming. it was confusing. he didn’t know bokuto at all, they had only met an hour ago. but he felt very comfortable with him, he trusted him, as if they had already known each other for years, like oikawa or suga. but it was a different feeling than them. he couldn’t figure out what. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“nice to meet you.” kuroo chuckled, and leaned against the counter. “so what can i get for you two?” he asked, grabbing an ice cream scooper. he twirled it in his hand, the creepy, wide smile still plastered across his cheeks. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“hmm.. i’ll have superman today! with sprinkles, of course.” bokuto hummed, scanning the toppings section. “and gummy bears in a cup for the side!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“you know that’s not allowed, bo.” kuroo laughed a bit, shaking his head. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“but you always do it anyway!” bokuto quipped before turning to akaashi, eyes wide. “what flavour do you want?” he asked, excited to see what he would pick. bokuto’s chosen flavour said a lot about his character. he was very childish, in a charming way. akaashi thought it was cute. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">what? cute? where the hell did this come from? but it was true. bokuto was cute, and not just in an attractive way. his demeanour was cute. the fact that he was this big, muscular guy who had such strong emotions was cute. the fact that he got excited over gummy bears was cute. the way his hair sticked up was cute, and the way his eyes widened at the smallest things akaashi would usually find unimportant was cute. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“..just french vanilla for me.” akaashi nodded, pointing to the vanilla quart in the flavour section. bokuto’s shoulders drooped. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“just vanilla?! but there are all these crazy flavours to choose from! you can get vanilla anywhere!” he exclaimed, wildly gesturing his hands with his words. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akaashi hesitated for a second before looking back at the flavour section, then at bokuto again, and then at kuroo, who still wore the same grin. if it wasn’t creeping him out before, it was now. it was like he </span>
  <span class="s2">knew </span>
  <span class="s1">that akaashi was starting to develop a crush. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“.. i guess i’ll try the lavender ice cream.” he told kuroo. kuroo hummed in reply, and wrote it down. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“any toppings?” bokuto asked. he had let go of his shoulders by now, so he grabbed his wrist to pull him over to where the toppings selection was. it looked like there were hundreds to choose from. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“i would recommend some honey to drizzle on top, that’s what kenma always does.” kuroo explained, gesturing to the honey bottle on the side of the toppings. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“kenma?” he raised an eyebrow, looking back at kuroo. that seemed to make him chuckle. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“my boyfriend– wait a second. oi, kenma!!” he called out, turning his head to the back door. a few seconds later, the boy from earlier returned, with the same cold deadpan look on his face. he was holding the nintendo switch with both of his hands now, and it seemed he was in the middle of playing a game before kuroo called him in. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“meet akaashi, bokuto’s tutor.” kuroo gestured to akaashi and bokuto across the counter. kenma looked up from his game and stared at akaashi for a second before nodding at him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akaashi assumed that kenma was shy as well. it was sort of refreshing, after hanging out with someone as loud as bokuto and being introduced to his equally as loud friend, it was nice to see someone who was similarly quiet, like akaashi was. akaashi nodded back.bokuto let out a snort. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“you’re both so quiet, you should be friends.” he laughed, which kuroo joined in on. kenma’s face flushed red, and it was the same for akaashi. he felt his cheeks heating up. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“they could start a club.” kuroo chuckled. “anyways, akaashi wants the lavender ice cream, so i suggested that he topped it with honey, like you do. so then i figured you two should meet.” he explained to kenma, pointing to akaashi, then the lavender ice cream, and then the honey bottle. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">kenma nodded again before looking up at akaashi. “it’s really good.” he told him. his voice was quiet compared to bokuto and kuroo, but then again, anyone speaking at a regular level would seem quiet compared to them. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akaashi assumed the conversation ended there, because kuroo and kenma began scooping up their chosen flavours into cones, not saying anything else. bokuto turned to akaashi. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“where do you want to sit?” he asked, gesturing to all the tables. all the tables were empty, but akaashi wasn’t surprised. it was october, and the weather was starting to get colder. but bokuto wanted ice cream, and akaashi found it hard to say no. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“anywhere is fine, bokuto-san.” he shrugged, sticking his hands into the pockets of his jeans. he was always bad at making decisions like this, he was probably one of the most indecisive people ever, as shocking as that may seem. but it was mostly because decisions were always made for him. his parents decided his future, or his friends chose what lunch table to sit at, stuff like that... his life really was quite boring, wasn’t it? </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“how about by the window?” bokuto asked, but he was already walking over to the table. akaashi just nodded and followed, sitting across from him. he shifted in his seat a bit until he was comfortable, and looked at bokuto to find that bokuto was already looking at him, with an unreadable expression. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">it almost looked like bokuto was studying his face, taking in his every facial feature. it made him sort of self conscious at how much bokuto was staring at him. “is there something on my face?” he asked, insecurity wavering in his voice. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">bokuto’s eyes widened, and he quickly shook his head. “no! no, there’s nothing. it’s just..” he trailed off for a few seconds. akaashi raised an eyebrow for him to continue. “it’s just you’re really pretty, that’s all.” he said it so casually, but it almost seemed like bokuto was nervous as he spoke. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">alaashi’s face immediately heated up, and he could feel his cheeks flushing red. “..thank you, bokuto-san.” he said quietly, fidgeting with his hands under the table. thankfully, the awkward tension was cut short when kuroo walked over. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“here we go! one superman, one lavender. enjoy.” he announced as he handed them their ice cream, waggling his eyebrows a bit at bokuto during the last part before walking away. akaashi’s ice cream was in a bowl, while bokuto’s was in a cone</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">bokuto’s nervous expression was easily replaced by the familiar, excited smile and glint in his eyes. akaashi couldn’t help but smile. he was fascinated by the innocent aura that bokuto gave off. he always was so cheerful, so.. genuine. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">his small smile was accompanied by laughter when bokuto immediately started digging into his ice cream, licking the sides eagerly. in just a few seconds his tongue was painted blue. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akaashi began eating his ice cream. he was pleasantly surprised at how good the flavour combinations were. he never would’ve thought to put lavender in ice cream, but it worked extremely well. he didn’t regret switching from vanilla for a second. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“how’s the ice cream?” bokuto asked, bringing akaashi out of his thoughts. akaashi gave him a simple nod. he still had ice cream in his mouth, and although it wouldn’t have stopped bokuto from speaking, akaashi waited until he swallowed. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“it’s actually really good.” he told him. his pursed lips easily turned upwards into a smile when he saw bokuto grin widely. he let out a hearty laugh. akaashi could listen to that laugh for hours. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“see!? aren’t you glad you didn’t get vanilla?” he laughed some more before finishing the rest of his ice cream. he somehow managed to eat it all in only seven minutes. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“i am.” akaashi nodded. it was true. lavender ice cream with honey drizzled on top was definitely his new favourite flavour. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">they stopped talking for a few minutes until akaashi had finished the rest of his ice cream. he scraped the sides for any leftovers before pushing the bowl away from him. bokuto was staring out the window until he heard akaashi move the bowl, he whipped his head around to look at him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">unsure of what to say, bokuto quickly stuck his tongue out. akaashi raised his eyebrows. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“is my tongue blue?” he asked excitedly. akaashi let out a tiny giggle, nodding his head. bokuto hummed proudly, closing his mouth before flickering his gaze down from akaashi’s eyes to his lips. akaashi followed his eyes, and he felt a knot forming in his throat. “you got some right there.” bokuto told him, pointing to the side of his own mouth.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akaashi looked down, and scrunched his nose up a bit as he tried to wipe his lips where bokuto had pointed, mirroring his actions. “did i get it?” he asked, returning his eyes to bokuto, who just shook his head. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">instead of letting akaashi try again, he stood up and leaned over the table to akaashi, standing over him. akaashi looked up to meet bokuto’s face, his cheeks burning red. his mind was going insane, a mixture of </span>
  <span class="s2">please don’t do what i think you’re going to do</span>
  <span class="s1">, and </span>
  <span class="s2">please do what i think you’re going to do</span>
  <span class="s1"> flooded his thoughts. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">bokuto leaned in closer and brought his hand up to alaashi’s face before brushing his thumb against the side of his lips. akaashi was blushing madly, but there was no use in hiding it when bokuto was so close. he seemed to notice too, because he let out a tiny chuckle, and kept his thumb there, lingering against his lips as he stared at akaashi with those big, wide golden eyes. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akaashi was sure that he stopped breathing, and that he was going to explode right then and there. another second passed by, and bokuto finally retracted his thumb from akaashi’s lips and sat back down, and smiled at him as if nothing happened. “there you go!” bokuto grinned. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">his face was still burning brightly. he had to look away from bokuto, so he looked over to the counter. but when he averted his eyes to the counter, he saw kuroo, who was staring at them with a shit-eating grin, eating his own ice cream. he supposed that he had watched that entire interaction, based on how smug he looked. he took a lick of his chocolate cone, and raised an eyebrow at akaashi. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akaashi’s eyes widened and he quickly looked away from kuroo, quietly clearing his throat. he stared down at his empty bowl for a few seconds before looking up at bokuto. and, to no surprise, bokuto was already looking at him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“..so what now?” akaashi asked, keeping his voice low. it didn’t matter, though. the ice cream shop was empty besides him and bokuto, and kuroo and kenma. but that was expected, it was the middle of october, and it was getting colder everyday, especially at night. who in their right minds would go get ice cream? bokuto would. and akaashi found that oddly charming. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“hmm.. well it’s only,” bokuto looked away for akaashi not even for one second to check the time on his phone before looking back at him, “five past seven. we still have loads of time!” he grinned widely. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akaashi raised his eyebrows. bokuto wanted to spend more time with him? but why? surely after an hour of driving with him and eating ice cream with him was enough time to show that he wasn’t a fun person to be around. it was enough time to show that he was boring. yet, akaashi found himself eager to spend more time with him. he liked being around bokuto. he liked the constant energy and the happy vibe he carried with him wherever he went. plus.. he wouldn’t mind getting away from kuroo and that creepy stare. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“what else did you have in mind, bokuto-san?” he asked, tipping his head a bit to level his eye contact with bokuto. he was never going to get over his golden yellow eyes. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">bokuto grinned and pulled out his phone. “well.. if it’s okay with you, we could go to this new park that just opened up! it has a really pretty garden.” he told him. akaashi’s deadpan melted easily into a small smile, which just made bokuto grin even wider. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akaashi leaned over the table to look closer at what bokuto was showing him. he had pulled up a picture of the garden on his phone. “you’re into plants and flowers?” he asked, looking away from the phone to look back up at bokuto. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">bokuto shook his head and shut his phone off. “nope! i don’t know anything about them.” he laughed a bit. akaashi furrowed his eyebrows at that. “there’s a really clear view of the stars from the garden. you can’t usually see them in the city.” he explained. he locked his eyes with akaashi, a goofy smile splayed across his face. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akaashi swore he felt his heart grow bigger at the sight. he cleared his throat and raised an eyebrow. “how far is the garden from the city then?” he asked. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“it’s a bit of a drive, just a little over half an hour, but it’s super worth it, trust me!” bokuto quickly nodded, his eyes wide as he waited for akaashi’s response. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">trust me. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">for some reason, akaashi had no trouble doing that. bokuto had such a strange appeal to him, it pulled akaashi in deeper and deeper each time he talked, or smiled, or laughed. god, that laugh.. “okay.” he slowly nodded. bokuto hummed in delight, and threw a fist into the air before bringing it close to his chest. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“yes!! you won’t be sorry, akaash!” he laughed a bit before standing up from his chair, and pulled his wallet out of his bag. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akaashi immediately stood up after him and without thinking, grabbed bokuto’s hand. “let me pay.” he said, making eye contact again. he felt his knees go a bit weak from just looking into those golden eyes. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">bokuto always held the most strong, extreme eye contact. akaashi always felt trapped, but in the best way. he found it impossible to look away. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“nope! i brought you here, so i should pay.” bokuto argued, shaking his head. akaashi just sighed and tries to think of something to say that would convince bokuto to let him pay. “please?” bokuto interrupted akaashi from his thoughts. he tilted his head and looked at akaashi with the most adorable puppy eyes and slight pout. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akaashi couldn’t help but smile. “..fine, bokuto-san. but i’m paying next time.” he said. he really couldn’t think straight around bokuto. next time? this was just the first time they’ve hung out, ever. what the hell was he thinking? but that question already had an answer. nothing, he was thinking nothing. he didn’t even know if bokuto wanted to hang out again. he probably didn’t. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">despite his overthinking, bokuto shrugged, still smiling wide. “we’ll see about that, kaashi.” he hummed and made his way over to the counter, where kenma was sat, playing a game on his nintendo switch. he didn’t look up when bokuto stopped in front of the cash register. “kenma? hellooooo?” bokuto waved a hand in front of his face. akaashi trailed behind bokuto as kenma looked up with a scowl on his face, which just made bokuto burst into laughter. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“kuroo said it’s on the house.” he stated blankly, and looked back down at his switch, ending the conversation right there. bokuto shrugged and turned to akaashi. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“that’s that, i guess!” he grinned, and began walking towards the door. “seeya kenma!” he called as he opened the door. akaashi turned to kenma and gave him a small wave, but he wasn’t paying attention, and akaashi really didn’t mind that much. he followed bokuto out of the shop and back into the parking lot, and into the truck.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“are you sure it’s okay to be out late with me?” akaashi asked bokuto once they were both seated inside of the truck. he looked at him with an unsure look as he waited for his answer, fidgeting with his fingers. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“of course! my parents aren’t that strict at all, as long as i come home in one piece.” bokuto laughed, shaking his head, but his smile softened up when he saw how nervous akaashi was. “i’m serious, kaashi! don’t worry.” he placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it for a second before he began driving. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akaashi nodded, and stopped fidgeting with his fingers. just like cracking his knuckles, it was another habit when he was anxious. “i wish i had parents like that.” he found himself saying before he could stop. he didn’t know bokuto that well, and he probably didn’t want to hear about his problems and expectations from his parents, who cared more about his grades and success than his wellbeing. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">but bokuto didn’t seem to mind. “your parents are strict?” he asked, tilting his head as he glanced at akaashi for a few seconds before looking back at the road. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akaashi chuckled. “strict is an understatement.” he rolled his eyes as he stared out the window. “they have these huge expectations from me. all they care about is my grades and marks. if i don’t get perfect grades..” he trailed off once he realized he was oversharing. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">bokuto frowned and stopped a red light. he placed a hand on akaashi’s shoulder. “you don’t have to get perfect grades, akaashi!” his brows pushed together. akaashi looked at him, and was sort of perplexed at how genuine and sincere he looked, like he really meant what he was saying, even though they had just met today. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">but it made sense. despite meeting that day, the two of them had an automatic sense of trust. it felt like he’d known bokuto his whole life, and vice versa for bokuto.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“you don’t understand, bokuto-san..” akaashi looked down and away from him. “if i don’t make top marks, and if i’m not at the top of all my classes.. they’ll be so disappointed. and they’ll constantly say i failed them, and make me feel guilty.” he explained. he kicked his legs up onto the seat and hugged his knees. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">bokuto sighed and brought his hand away to start driving again when the light turned green. “you can’t let them do that.. you don’t deserve that.” he told him, shaking his head. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akaashi nodded slowly before turning his head to look at bokuto as he drove. “the thing is.. i don’t know anything different. i’ve always done what they expected. rules are made, and i follow them. that’s all my life is.” he sighed, puffing his cheeks up before blowing them out. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">bokuto looked at him and frowned for a moment before perking his head up, a smile creeping up at his lips. “well not anymore! i’m here to make your life fun, remember?” he laughed, turning back to the road. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akaashi couldn’t help but smile at him as he nodded. “yeah.” he laughed a bit, running a hand through his hair. he supposed a little fun and excitement couldn’t be too bad, especially if it was with bokuto. and god knows he could use a break from his parents, from his schoolwork and the expectations. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">bokuto grinned wider once akaashi smiled.“see! there’s a smile. you should smile more. i like your smile.” he let out a tiny giggle as he drove, still grinning as he focused his eyes on the road. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akaashi just chuckled, raising an eyebrow. “what?” he asked, bringing his feet back down to the floor of the car. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“you always hide your smile, like when you laugh. but you shouldn’t. you have a really nice smile.” bokuto said while driving, shrugging. he hair said it so casually, but akaashi found himself blushing up a storm. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akaashi’s smile grew bigger, and he raised his hand to hide his smile, but bokuto caught him just as he was about to. he grabbed his hand and pulled it away from his face, and grinned at him for a few seconds, admiring his smile before letting go of his hand. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akaashi immediately longed for bokuto to hold his hand again. bokuto had a warmth that akaashi couldn’t describe. it made him always want to be around him, always want to touch him, even if it was just holding hands. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">———</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">the rest of the drive to the garden was as akaashi expected. super fun, loud and full of laughter and smiles. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">once they reached their destination, akaashi was nearly panting from how hard he was laughing. bokuto looked the same. he shut the car off and threw his head back against the back of his seat. akaashi looked over at him and smiled, still letting out a few tiny giggles as he unbuckled himself. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">bokuto unbuckled as well and grinned, opening his door and hopping out. akaashi reached his hand out to open his door, but bokuto quickly cut him off and opened it for him. he was going to have to remember to stop doing it himself. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“don’t want you falling again!” he quipped as he held the door open for akaashi, and with his free hand, held his hand out for akaashi to take. akaashi hesitated for a moment before smiling, and taking bokuto’s hand. he slowly stepped out of the truck and made sure to pay attention to the ground levels, letting out an awkward laugh as he looked up at bokuto once he was on the ground. bokuto hadn’t let go of his hand yet. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">he held onto his hand for a few more seconds, staring down at akaashi with a big, goofy smile before looking down at their hands. he raised an eyebrow at akaashi before letting go, humming to fill the awkward silence lingering in the air. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akaashi frowned a bit when bokuto let go of his hand. bokuto seemed to notice, and it looked like he was about to grab his hand again but he stopped himself. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“i’m gonna get a blanket from the trunk, and then we can go into the garden!” he pointed to the back of his truck before quickly walking away. akaashi watched as he grabbed a blanket and threw it over his shoulder. he walked back over, smiling wide. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akaashi returned the smile. “lead the way,” he gestured towards the garden. bokuto grinned and started walking into the garden, akaashi followed. the garden was beautiful, and with the lights from the lamp posts glistening down on the flowers, they looked unreal, the whole garden laminated under the stars and lights looked ethereal. he turned to look at bokuto, and he swore he felt his heart nearly stop. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">the lights reflected against the pale skin of bokuto’s face, and lit up all of his features in the dark. but it wasn’t just that. it was the </span>
  <span class="s2">smile </span>
  <span class="s1">that bokuto wore that was making akaashi’s heart skip beats. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">bokuto led him down further into the garden, and set the blanket down. he turned to akaashi to sit down, but akaashi was over by the rose bush. he chuckled to himself and walked over, and stood behind him. akaashi was admiring the flowers, but bokuto was admiring akaashi. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“pretty, right?” he spoke quietly, but it was still enough to make akaashi jump. he quickly turned around and sighed in relief when he saw bokuto behind him. then, he noticed how close they were. he blushed and looked away. bokuto didn’t seem to notice their distance, so he stayed where he was. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“sorry! didnt mean to scare you!” bokuto laughed. he didn’t move, though. his eyes fixated on the rise bush behind akaashi. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akaashi followed bokuto’s eyes, and before he knew it, bokuto had reached out and picked a rose from the bush. “..bokuto-san, i don’t think you’re allowed to–“ his words were cut off by a yelp. bokuto dropped the rose and brought his hand up to his face, his eyes widening at a cut on his thumb. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“stupid thorns!” bokuto furrowed his eyebrows as he brought his thumb into his mouth, suckling at the blood from the cut. akaashi couldn’t help but smile at the sight of bokuto sucking on his thumb like a little baby. he let out a tiny giggle, and shook his head. could he get anymore adorable? </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“you think my pain is funny?” bokuto asked jokingly as he bent down, grabbing the rose from the ground. he smiled down at akaashi for a moment and reached with his free hand to brush a piece of akaashi’s hair out of his face before placing the rose behind his ear, his hand lingering there for a second. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akaashi froze as he did this, looking up at bokuto. he was smiling proudly at him, as if akaashi was a work of art. akaashi was about to lean into bokuto’s touch, but bokuto retracted his hand right then. it wasn’t until he finally let a shaky breath out, he had realized he stopped breathing during the entire interaction. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“it suits you.” bokuto nodded, breaking the silence. he cleared his throat and stuck his hands behind his back, humming as he looked everywhere but at akaashi. it was true. the dark red rose against akaashi’s pale skin looked really good. his dark, emerald green eyes were just another contributing factor. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akaashi smiled, swaying from his toes to his heels and looked up at bokuto. “you said you wanted to look at the stars?” he asked, gesturing to the blanket behind them on the grass. bokuto’s eyes averted from akaashi to the blanket, and then back at akaashi. he grinned widely. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“yeah!” he nodded before walking over to the blanket, grabbing akaashi’s wrist to tug him along. he let go of his wrist and laid down on the blanket, letting out a heavy sigh as he did. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akashi stood above him for a moment before bokuto patted the spot on the blanket next to him. “come lay down!” he patted the blanket again. akaashi sat down on the blanket before laying down next to bokuto, staring up at the stars. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“do you know anything about stars, akaash?” bokuto asked, turning to look at akaashi. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akaashi shook his head. “not a clue. but i’m guessing you do?” he raised an eyebrow. bokuto grinned and looked back at the stars, squinting his head. akaashi was watching bokuto more than the stars. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“i know all about them!” he exclaimed, and pointed up to the sky. “you see that one, kaashi?” he asked. akaashi expected him to continue, but when he didn’t, he realized he was waiting for an answer. his eyes followed bokuto’s finger, but he had no idea which star he was actually pointing to. but he just smiled as nodded, waiting for him to continue. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">bokuto hummed and looked away from akaashi and back at the stars. “that star is regulus,” he began explaining, “its the brightest star in the constellation leo. it’s one of the brightest stars in our galaxy.” it was easy to hear the smile in his voice as bokuto talked. akaashi could tell he was passionate about astronomy, just based on the little facts he was feeding him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“continue.” akaashi said, in barely a whisper. he knew absolutely nothing about stars, and he could really care less about them. but hearing bokuto talk about something he loved was music to his ears. he could listen to him talk for hours upon hours, to no end. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">bokuto turned to akaashi with wide eyes, a look upon his face that read ‘really?!’. akaashi simply nodded again, smiling when he saw bokuto grin widely. “okay.. well, did you know that stars have colors? and not just how people draw them, like yellow or white. stars can be blue! or red!” he explained, letting out a tiny chuckle. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“and what color is regulus?” akaashi asked quietly. he hasn’t taken his eyes off of bokuto once. while bokuto was staring up at the sky, akaashi was staring at the boy next to him, listening to him go on and on about stars, a subject he’s never thought twice about. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">just akaashi asking that was enough to send bokuto over the moon. “regulus is a blue star! blue stars are the hottest stars.” he told him, smiling wide as he stared up at the sky. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akaashi hummed. “so red stars are the coolest then?” he asked, finally looking away from bokuto to look at the stars. he squinted his eyes as he scanned the sky to look for regulus. he raised his hand and pointed, in the completely wrong direction, “is that regulus?” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">bokuto let out a quiet snort. he took akaashi’s hand in his own and guided him in the right direction, pointing exactly where regulus was. “</span>
  <span class="s2">that’s</span>
  <span class="s1"> regulus.” he said, still holding onto akaashi’s hand. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">thank god it was dark outside, because akaashi was blushing like a mad man. “oh,” he whispered before giggling a bit at how far off he was. he was beginning to grow tired which made him lose a bit of his inhibitions. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">bokuto laughed a bit when akaashi started giggling. “what?” he raised an eyebrow, which only seemed to make his giggling fit grow into laughter, which made bokuto laugh more. it was a never ending cycle. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“n-nothing,” akaashi clutched onto his stomach as he let out a few more laughs, squirming on his back until he rolled onto his side, facing bokuto, who was already facing him, with the biggest smile ever. it was so out of character for him to be smiling and laughing this much in one night, but that’s just how it was with bokuto. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">bokuto just kept the same stupid smile on his face while he watched akaashi come down from his laughter fit. “you have one of the best laughs ever.” he said, thinking out loud. his face went red when he realized he had said that out loud, and not just in his head. but it was true. akaashi’s giggles were cute and all, but his genuine laughter was full of joy, it was contagious as hell, and one of the best sounds bokuto has ever heard. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akaashi smiled tiredly and yawned, lifting himself up for a second to rest his head on his arm. “really?” he asked. the light from the lamp posts and stars shining down on them made his green eyes light up. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">bokuto nodded quickly. “yeah! definitely.” he grinned, leaning closer to him. when akaashi yawned, he yawned too. another contagious thing. he was growing tired with akaashi, but he wanted nothing more than to just lay there with him forever. it was getting colder by the second, though. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">so, they laid there in silence, with big, fat stupid smiles on their faces for almost an entire hour, just enjoying each other’s companies and watching the stars. watching airplanes pass by, watching bugs crowd up at the lamp posts, and of course, watching each other watch those things. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">when akaashi let out an audible shiver, bokuto sat up. “you wanna head back to the truck?” he asked, pulling his phone out to check the time. “it’s almost nine thirty.” bokuto whistled. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akaashi looked up at him and frowned before sitting up. “i guess we lost track of time,” he said. he let out another yawn, a huge one. bokuto watched him intently, and laughed a bit. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“that was a big one.” he chuckled, and looked away from akaashi to the blanket, spotting the rose, which slipped out of akaashi’s hair a while ago. he picked it up and handed it back to akaashi. “it fell out.” he said quietly. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akaashi took the rose, a small smile growing at his lips. he stared down at it, and placed it back into his hair, sliding the stem behind his ear. bokuto looked at him in pure awe. “is the cut any better?” he asked, bringing the attention back to bokuto. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">bokuto stared at him for a second, confused, before he looked down at his thumb. “oh yeah! i totally forgot about it.” he laughed, bringing his thumb up to look at it closer. akaashi watched as he squinted his eyes before he let his hand fall. “it’s fine!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akaashi smiled and looked down, yawning again as he looked back up at bokuto. “i guess we should get going then.” he nodded. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">bokuto pursed his lips before shaking his head. “yeah. i guess. we won’t be back in the city until after ten, though.” he told him. he really didn’t want to let akaashi go, he just wanted to spend more time with him.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">it was the same for akaashi. he didn’t want to go home to his parents and explain why he was out so late. he didn’t want to even see them when he was having this much fun, he didn’t want the happiness he was feeling to be temporary. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“that’s okay.” he nodded. he let out a sigh before standing up, getting off of the blanket. standing up, all of the cold air hit him. he shivered again, and hugged himself. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“here,” bokuto stood up quickly and grabbed the blanket, and draped it across his shoulders. akaashi welcomed the warmth from the blanket, and held onto the blanket tightly. “all better?” he chuckled at the sight of akaashi swallowed up by the huge blanket. akaashi rubbed his cheek against the warm blanket and nodded. bokuto wanted to melt right there on the spot. he quickly took a mental picture of that. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“all better.” akaashi smiled at him and started walking towards the truck, bokuto followed behind him and picked up the pace in his steps so he could walk beside him. he turned his head to look at him and smiled. akaashi had brought the blanket up so he was completely covered down from his toes up to his nose. he turned to look at bokuto and laughed a bit. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">‘</span>
  <span class="s2">you’re so cute</span>
  <span class="s1">,’ is what bokuto would’ve said if he had the guts. he was confused still, because the second he had saw akaashi sitting in the library, he liked him. he liked how quiet and reserved he was in public, but when they were alone, he was more open and loose. he loved his laugh, and his smile, even though akaashi tried to hide it most of the time. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">he noticed a lot of things during the last few hours he’s spent with him. all good things that just made him like him even more. and he was hoping akaashi felt the same way. he had a feeling he did from the reactions he gave whenever bokuto did something remotely flirty. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">just the sight of akaashi bundled up in his blanket was enough to make bokuto want to explode. he wanted to drop to his knees and yell out in agony at how </span>
  <span class="s2">adorable </span>
  <span class="s1">he was. it was almost painful, because akaashi probably had no clue he was putting this effect on him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">he opened the car door open for akaashi, and he hopped in, still keeping the blanket wrapped securely around him. he snuggled into the seat, and frowned once he realized he would have to undo the blanket burrito he put himself in to buckle up. luckily, bokuto had caught this. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"i'll do it, you stay warm." he chuckled and reached over to buckle akaashi into the car. he felt a strange warmth in his chest from doing that, the feeling of taking care of akaashi, even just from buckling him into the car, made him feel incredibly full and happy. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"thank you, bokuto-san." akaashi smiled, and watched bokuto close the door and get into his own seat, buckling in. he turned the car on, and sighed in relief as the car heated up. he turned to akaashi and laughed a bit. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“you look like a little baby.” he chuckled as he pulled out of the garden, looking behind him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">why was it that bokuto looked so attractive doing the simplest thing like checking behind him while he pulled out? it had akaashi blushing, and he quickly looked away, out of the window. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“thanks for taking me here. i really needed it.” he said quietly, nuzzling the blanket against his cheek. he was so warm and comfortable, and his eyes began to flutter, struggling to keep them open. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">bokuto noticed this. “you can sleep if you want,” he told him, placing a hand on his shoulder gently. akaashi looked up at him and sighed, shaking his head. “but you’re tired.” he frowned. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">akaashi looked down. “but that’s no fun for you.” he looked back at bokuto, who had the softest smile on his face. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“it’s okay! i’ve already had loads of fun today with you.” he shrugged as he looked away to drive out of the park and into the road. akaashi hesitated for a second, debating it in his head. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">he really was tired, and he was so warm and comfy. but he’d be leaving bokuto in the quiet. “are you sure?” he asked, furrowing his eyebrows. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">bokuto nodded. “honestly, i’m happy with just your company.” he said, and that brought the biggest, tired smile to akaashi’s lips. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“okay,” he whispered, and closed his eyes not even a second later. he already felt himself dozing off. bokuto smiled at him, admiring him for a few seconds before turning back to the car. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">after maybe five minutes of driving, akaashi was fully passed out, fast asleep. and it had only dawned on bokuto after that he forgot to ask for his address. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">———</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“jesus, what the hell did you do to him, bo?” iwaizumi laughed as he opened akaashi’s car door, raising his eyebrows at him. bokuto raised his hands up in defense. akaashi was completely passed out, bundled up tightly in the blanket. and despite sleeping at a sitting angle, he looked and was very comfortable.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“nothing bad! we just got ice cream and went to that new garden and checked out the stars.” he explained, telling him the events of today. he had a huge smile on his face as he did, and oikawa, who was stood behind iwaizumi, was just smirking smugly. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">bokuto noticed this immediately and rolled his eyes. “shut up..” he mumbled, looking down at akaashi, who looked so cute in his sleep. he had a small smile, and his eyelashes looked impossibly long with his eyes closed. he was finding more and more features that caused him to fall deeper in. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“you didn’t even spend a full 24 hours with him and you look madly in love.” oikawa laughed. iwaizumi just nudged him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“you weren’t so different when you realized you liked me,” he teased. oikawa scoffed, shaking his head. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“oh please, you should be so glad i even looked at you at all.” he mumbled before walking over to unbuckle akaashi from the seat. he gently undid the blanket around him and carefully lifted him up, groaning as he did. akaashi immediately snuggled into his arms for warmth, mumbling something incoherent in his sleep. “yeesh! for someone who looks so light, he’s heavy.” he laughed, bouncing akaashi to grab a firmer grip. somehow, akaashi stayed asleep. he was a really heavy sleeper. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“he’s really out, huh.” bokuto smiled, staring at him as he slept. he looked so peaceful. no worries, no insecurities rushing through his head and mind. he liked to think he was having a good dream. maybe even about him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">iwaizumi chuckled at oikawa struggling to keep him steady in his arms and took akaashi from him, he had much less struggle carrying him. oikawa just rolled his eyes and leaned against the car. “so, instead of tutoring, you guys pretty much had a date?” he raised an eyebrow. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">bokuto’s eyes widened and he quickly shook his head, waving his hands. “no! no this wasn’t a date!” he defended, shaking his head again. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">oikawa burst out laughing again, throwing his head back. “ice cream and star gazing? that’s like, super romantic, bokuto-san!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">bokuto’s face fell as he realized that everything he did with akaashi was pretty romantic. anyone would assume it was a date taken out of context. “i didn’t even realize.” he mumbled. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">iwaizumi shrugged. “don’t be so weirded out by it. i mean, you like him, right? it’s pretty obvious, even if it’s only been a day.” he laughed, rocking akaashi slightly in his arms. he really was sort of like a baby when he was asleep. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">bokuto nodded fast. “totally. i mean, the second i saw him, i swear my heart stopped.” the second he said that, he cringed at how cheesy it sounded. oikawa seemed to agree, because he obnoxiously faked a gag, sticking a finger halfway into his mouth. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">iwaizumi glared at him as he did so, and started walking to the front door. bokuto and oikawa followed behind him. “well, thanks for bringing him here.” he smiled. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">bokuto nodded. “i forgot to ask for his address, and you know where he lives.. so.” he shrugged, sticking his hands into his pockets. his eyes shifted from iwaizumi to akaashi, who looked super comfortable in his arms. he felt a slight sting in his heart. he wanted him to be in </span>
  <span class="s2">his </span>
  <span class="s1">arms. he wanted to know what it felt like to hold akaashi in his arms, hold him against his chest. to even just hug him. “well, it’s late.. so, i’ll see you at practice tomorrow.” he grinned and waved before walking off, getting into his truck. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">oikawa and iwaizumi watched as bokuto drove away. oikawa looked down at akaashi, and then at iwaizumi. “how come iwa-chan doesn’t hold me like that?” he asked, nuzzling his face into the crook of iwaizumi’s neck. iwaizumi scoffed and pushed him away. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“you’re too tall and heavy.” he simply said before kicking the door open. oikawa scoffed and followed him inside. he walked into his house and carefully set akaashi down on the couch, grabbing the blanket off of the top of the couch, and draped it over him. he crossed his arms over his chest as he stared down at the boy asleep. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">oikawa raised an eyebrow. “what’s on your mind?” he asked as he grabbed ahold of iwaizumi’s arm, cuddling against it, rubbing his cheek against his bicep, smiling. iwaizumi looked down at him and couldn’t help but return the smile. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“nothing.. just spaced out.” he shrugged and wrapped an arm around oikawa, tugging him along as he laid down on the other couch, laying down. he pulled oikawa on top of him, and threw a blanket over the two of them. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">oikawa laughed a bit as he fell on top of him, and snaked his arms around him. “mm, goodnight.” he mumbled, closing his eyes. iwaizumi hummed in response, and stared up at the ceiling as he played with oikawa’s hair, before falling asleep. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. three</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>meddling best friends, a volleyball game and a broken leg, oh my!</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>ahhhh hi here’s an early update cause i’m impatient even tho chapter 4 isn’t done yet lol here u go enjoy!! and pls leave a comment or kudos, it makes me really happy seeing them hehe</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">saturday’s were always a sanctuary for akaashi. he would sleep in, relax, and not think about his responsibilities until sunday. they were not the days for his best friends to be sticking their noses in his business, and begging him to talk about his night with bokuto. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">yet, here he was. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“tell us </span>
  <span class="s3">everything</span>
  <span class="s2">!” suga cried out from across the table. he, oikawa, iwaizumi and akaashi were all sitting in iwaizumi’s kitchen eating breakfast, and akaashi could hardly get any bites in. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“did you guys kiss?!” oikawa swooned dramatically, clasping his hands together. akaashi just sent him a glare, shaking his head. although, there were a few moments last night where he and bokuto could’ve kissed. but there’s no way that bokuto liked him. they just met that day, and akaashi couldn’t think of any reason for bokuto or anyone really, why he would like him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“i just met him, tooru.” he deadpanned, finally taking a few bites of his breakfast. iwaizumi’s mother had made them all scrambled eggs with furikake. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">oikawa sighed and continued talking, even with his mouth full of food, which earned a grossed out look from iwaizumi. “i’m just saying! you should’ve heard what bokuto was sa—“ he was cut off by iwaizumi nudging him in the side. “ow!” he furrowed his eyebrows. iwaizumi mumbled something under his breath to oikawa, who responded with an “ohhh,” and then went quiet, shoving more food into his mouth. akaashi raised an eyebrow suspiciously at them. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“what? ..did bokuto-san say something?” he asked as he began to fidget with his fingers. of course bokuto said something. bokuto probably told iwaizumi and oikawa how he had a horrible time, but didn’t want to hurt akaashi’s feelings. oikawa and iwaizumi gave each other looks, as if they were communicating with their eyes, before iwaizumi cleared his throat and turned back to akaashi. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“akaashi. don’t interrupt me when i tell you this,” he started, speaking very slowly. akaashi glared at him, but stayed silent to let him talk. “when bokuto dropped you off last night, he told us something.” he said, making sure each of his words were carefully enunciated and clear. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“hurry it up, hajime, i’m not a child.” akaashi rolled his eyes, taking another bite of his rice, nearly choking when he was slapped on the arm by oikawa.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“i said no interrupting!” iwaizumi growled and kicked him under the table. “anyways, as i was saying, bokuto told us something. and i need you to not overthink when you hear this, alright?” he raised an eyebrow. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">akaashi cleared his throat, and hesitated for a few seconds before nodding. overthink about what? the more iwaizumi led him on, the more anxious and impatient he became.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">oikawa seemed to grow impatient as well, because just as iwaizumi opened his mouth to speak again, he cut him off. “bokuto-san is <em>madly</em></span>
  
  <span class="s2">in love with you!! he told us the second he saw you his heart stopped and he likes you!” he said quickly, taking a big deep breath after he finished. he immediately flinched away from iwaizumi, expecting a slap or nudge. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">instead, iwaizumi just rolled his eyes, shaking his head. “what he said.” he muttered, and continued eating his food. akaashi was staring at the two of them, his jaw taped open. suga, who sat beside him, was giggling and smiling like a school girl. he clapped his hands together excitedly. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“look!! kaashi-kun is </span>
  <span class="s3">blushing</span>
  <span class="s2">!!” he gasped, leaning over to poke akaashi’s cheek. akaashi furrowed his eyebrows and slapped suga’s hand away, giving him his best angry glare.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“i’m not blushing! and we just met yesterday, koushi.” he shook his head and set his fork down, and crossed his arms over his chest. he was blushing. he was blushing up a storm. his cheeks were hot and red, and spreading to his ears.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">oikawa clasped his hands together. “love at first sight!” he swooned. akaashi just rolled his eyes and decided it wasn’t worth it to argue, so he went silent and continued eating his breakfast while suga and oikawa took turns talking about his love life, and how he and bokuto were ‘meant to be’ and ‘destined for each other’. he tuned them out and could only listen to his own thoughts. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">why would bokuto like him? he would be surprised that he liked him as a friend, but romantically? akaashi has never been in a romantic relationship, ever. he’s never considered a boyfriend before, besides the occasional ‘i’m lonely, a boyfriend could be nice’ thoughts that appeared whenever oikawa and iwaizumi did something cute. but he never made any real effort to go out and get a boyfriend. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">not only that, but he considered himself boring. there was nothing interesting about him. he had no hobbies, his family life wasn’t even worth a conversation, and he’s had the same three friends his entire life. someone as fun and charming bokuto couldn’t possibly like him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">but iwaizumi and oikawa have never lied to him, not once. even when he didn’t know how to dress himself, or when he didn’t know how to tame his curly hair, they always were honest with him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">bokuto liked him. now he knew what iwaizumi meant by no overthinking. when he overthought, he liked to describe it as his mind going down into a spiral, because spirals never stop, they just get tighter and tighter. that’s what akaashi’s thought process was like when he as overthinking. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">there wasn’t that many things to overthink when it came to this. akaashi </span>
  <span class="s3">also </span>
  <span class="s2">liked bokuto. but he was inexperienced. he’s never done this before. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“hellooo? earth to keiji?” akaashi was snapped out of his thoughts when oikawa waved his hand in front of his face. he looked up from his breakfast to oikawa, and raised an eyebrow. he wasn’t even eating, he had lost his appetite while thinking. “didn’t iwa-chan just tell you to not overthink?” he chuckled, clicking his tongue in disapproval. akaashi rolled his eyes. how could he</span>
  <span class="s3"> not</span>
  <span class="s2"> overthink right now? someone had a crush on him, someone he just met yesterday. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">someone who was bokuto koutarou. akaashi looked away from oikawa and went back to staring down at his half eaten plate of rice. “..i don’t know what to do. or say.” he said slowly, pushing the plate away. he’d officially lost his appetite from overthinking. iwaizumi let out a deep breath and tapped akaashi’s hand. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">akaashi looked up at him. it almost looked like he had fear in his eyes. “well.. it’s simple. do you like bokuto back?” he asked. out of his three friends, surprisingly, iwaizumi was the most sensitive when it came to calming him down. most would assume it was suga, because he was the ‘mom friend’, as deemed by oikawa, but it really was iwaizumi. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“of course he does!” oikawa cut in before akaashi could say anything, earning glares from suga, iwaizumi and akaashi. iwaizumi jabbed him in the side, pushing him away from the table. “mean, iwa-chan is mean!” he cried out dramatically, holding onto his side as if he was just stabbed. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">iwaizumi gestured with his hand for akaashi to speak. akaashi just took a deep breath before shrugging. “...yes? no. i don’t know!” he groaned before tugging and pulling on his hair, wincing when he pulled a little too hard. he was becoming really overwhelmed, his mind racing. his breath started to pick up as his thoughts took over. iwaizumi’s eyes widened, along with suga. they both quickly appeared at his side, tearing his hands away from his hair. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“hey– hey!” suga’s face relaxed into a gentle smile, he took akaashi’s chin and tipped it forwards to look at him. “you don’t have to know. it’s only been a day!” he chuckled, and brought his hand away from akaashi’s chin to his back and rubbed it soothingly. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">mom mode has officially been activated. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">akaashi looked at him and sighed. he felt pathetic. for someone who was always clear about what he wanted and what he knew, he felt clueless and lost. this area was not his expertise, god knows that. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“i’m just so confused. i mean, there definitely were a few moments last night where it seemed like.. but it couldn’t be. we just met.” he shook his head, furrowing his eyebrows as he thought out loud. the moments were straight out of a romance novel. the stargazing, the rose. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <em>
    <span class="s3">the rose. </span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">where the hell did the rose go? akaashi quickly stood up and walked away from the kitchen, leaving his three friends as he made his way to the living room to inspect the couch he slept on last night. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“..akaashi?” suga raised an eyebrow as he watched him leave the room. he turned to oikaw and iwaizumi, who looked equally as confused as he was. the three simultaneously stood up and trailed behind akaashi. “what are you looking for?” he asked. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">akaashi had now torn apart the little makeshift bed iwaizumi had made for him the night before. “the rose,” he muttered under his breath. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">oikawa let out a tiny snort. “oh right, the rose. sorry, our mistake.” he said playfully, watching akaashi toss the blanket out of the way and onto the carpet. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">akaashi turned around and rolled his eyes at oikawa before grabbing the pillow, slamming his face with it. oikawa gasped dramatically and threw it back at akaashi, who without effort, caught it. stupid reflexes. “the rose bokuto-san gave me last night. i had it in my hair, but obviously now it’s not there.” he explained, flipping the couch cushion upside down. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">suga clasped his hands together. “bokuto gave you a </span>
  <span class="s3">rose</span>
  <span class="s2">?!” he swooned, swaying from left to right. akaashi just nodded, not paying attention to him enough to hit him back with a snarky reply. “ugh, so cute!” suga grinned, and then began to help akaashi search for the rose. “ah, here.” he grabbed the now smushed rose from the corner of the couch, and handed it to akaashi. akaashi frowned at the crumpled rose, but he took it from suga’s hands and held onto it. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“thanks.” he mumbled, looking down at the flower. he couldn’t help the small smile that appeared on his face when he looked at it. memories from last night flooded back into his mind, and he sighed in content. “yes. i do like him.” he said firmly, holding the crushed rose against his chest. against his heart. it was comforting to say it out loud, confirming his anxiety. he flinched a bit as he expected suga to swoon all over again, but he was met with a gentle smile instead, from all three of his friends. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“and that’s okay.” suga reached out and rubbed his shoulder soothingly. it was okay that akaashi liked bokuto. it was just scary, and new. but exciting. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">———</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">slam! </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">bokuto spiked the ball hard, grinning wide as he did so. “yes! i’m really the best, huh?!” he turned to iwaizumi, who stood next to him. iwaizumi wished he could say he was unimpressed, because bokuto did like to boast, and for once it would be nice to scold him for being so full of himself, but when it came to volleyball, he couldn’t argue. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">bokuto was recently named one of the top aces in japan, it was hard to disagree. he just wished he would brag about it a little less, but then again, bokuto did thrive on praise. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“yep, you’re the best.” iwaizumi said, biting back the eye roll he felt coming. he was going to be named ace if it weren’t for bokuto, so of course he felt a little bit of jealousy towards him. but it was incredibly hard to be mean to bokuto. he had such strong good vibes, and they radiated off of him at all times. it helped the team immensely. he was sort of like their mascot. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">after a few more practice plays, their coach blew his whistle and called for a break. bokuto made his way over to iwaizumi, who was over by the bench, silently drinking water. iwaizumi raised an eyebrow when he walked over and finished drinking. bokuto was hovering over him, far too close for his liking.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“...yes?” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">bokuto fidgeted with his hands behind his back, trying to find the right words in his head. iwaizumi stared at him impatiently and motioned with his hands to begin speaking. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“would you.. maybe, uhm.. ask akaashi if.. uhm, he would want to go to our game tomorrow?” he asked, stumbling over his words multiple times, mentally cursing himself. iwaizumi chuckled and shook his head, setting his water bottle down on the bench. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“i think you should ask him yourself, bokuto.” iwaizumi replied, crossing his arms over his chest as he raised an eyebrow at how nervous the boy in front of him was. it was amusing, and reminded him of how he acted around oikawa when he realized he liked him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">well, he only acted that way temporarily, because oikawa was incredible when it came to reading people, so when he eventually found out, he came over to his house one day, and knocked on the door. when iwaizumi answered, oikawa marched right up and kissed him on the lips, just like that. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">when iwaizumi asked why he kissed him, oikawa replied with a simple, “i didn’t want to sit around and wait for you to do it.” then, he proceeded to tease him mercilessly about pining after him for the next month, until akaashi and suga had enough of the romantic tension and forced them to make it official. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">iwaizumi smiled at the memory and focused his attention back on bokuto, who was staring at his shoes intensely and looked like he was panicking in his head. he chuckled and walked closer to him. “bokuto, relax. he’ll say yes.” he reassured him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">bokuto looked at him with wide eyes. iwaizumi nearly flinched at how strong the eye contact was. “really?! how do you know?” he asked, leaning even closer to him. iwaizumi scrunched his face up and backed away.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“personal space, bo. but.. just trust me. akaashi will say yes, so ask him.” he told him, nodding his head. bokuto seemed to physically and mentally relax, his body loosened up and his face didn’t look as strained and tense anymore. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“okay! uhm.. when should i do it? i don’t see him until next tuesday, and that’ll be after the game..” bokuto rubbed the back of his neck, glancing to the side. his cheeks were flushed red. iwaizumi just laughed a bit. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“here, how about this. i’ll give you his number, and you can text him and ask.” he grabbed his phone from his bag on the bench and turned it on, pulling up akaashi’s contact. bokuto pulled out his phone from his bag as well and opened up his phone, and squinted his eyes at the contact on iwaizumi’s phone and began typing it into his phone, smiling widely as he did. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“thanks, bro!” he grinned, pumping his fist up before opening up akaashi’s contact. he pressed message, and stared at his phone for a few seconds before typing a message and sending it without a second thought. it read:</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <em>
    <span class="s3">hey!! i have a volleyball game tomorrow and i think you’d really like it! and i’d really like you to come, i want to see you again!! </span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <em>
    <span class="s3">this is bokuto btw!!!</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">bokuto hummed proudly at the message and put his phone back into his bag when their coach blew the whistle again. iwaizumi did the same, and took another sip of water before running back onto the court. bokuto stayed still for a moment, smiling to himself as he imagined akaashi sitting in the bleachers, watching him play. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“bokuto, get your fat ass over here!” he heard a voice call from the court and he tore his attention away from his thoughts and back to his practice. he grinned and ran over. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“hold your damn horses!” he yelled as he returned to his team, getting into position. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">———</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <em>
    <span class="s3">hey!! i have a volleyball game tomorrow and i think you’d really like it! and i’d really like you to come, i want to see you again!! </span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <em>
    <span class="s3">this is bokuto btw!!!</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">akaashi stared at the message, unsure of what to do or say. he was blushing bright red, and his mind was running all over the place. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <em>
    <span class="s3">i’d really like you to come, i want to see you again!!!</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">so akaashi really was just overthinking. it wasn’t a surprise or shock that he was, but he still couldn’t wrap his mind around the fact that after just a day, bokuto liked him. he couldn’t figure out what to do, and he had already left iwaizumi’s, and was now in his room, sitting on his bed and mentally freaking the hell out. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <em>
    <span class="s3">sure, bokuto-san, what ti</span>
    <span class="s2">—</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">he internally cringed and deleted the text, sighing as he did. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <em>
    <span class="s3">sorry bokuto-san, i cant</span>
    <span class="s2">—</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">he deleted the text again, and threw his phone down on his bed before tugging at his hair, groaning loudly, and then proceeded to throw his head back, accidentally hitting it against the wall. “agh!” he quickly let go of his hair and clutched the back of his head, shutting his eyes tight. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">he heard footsteps coming up the stairs quickly and he blinked an eye open when his door opened, his mom standing in the doorway. “i heard a thud, what happened?” she asked. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">akaashi’s mother was beautiful. she had long, curly black hair and emerald green eyes. she looked exactly like akaashi, but with more feminine features. he definitely took after her instead of his father, who had brown hair and brown eyes. now if only her personality had matched her looks, she would’ve been the perfect mother.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">akaashi just shook his head, rubbing where he hit it. “i just bumped my head, that’s all.” he assured her, shrugging. he was sat with his legs crossed on his bed, his back against the wall. it was stupid of him to throw his head back in the first place, but as mentioned before, he really couldn’t think when bokuto talked to him. even texting now, his mind went blank. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">akaashi’s mother nodded slowly. “do you need any ice?” she asked, leaning her hip against the door frame. akaashi shook his head, and grabbed his phone, the screen lighting up. he glanced down at the text, and he blushed all over again. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“no, thank you.” he told her. she simply nodded and left, closing the door behind her. he began to try thinking of what he could reply to bokuto. did he even want to go to a volleyball game? they were loud, and full of people. lots of people. that was anxiety kingdom for akaashi. it sounded like absolute pure hell. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">but the second he started to imagine bokuto in his volleyball uniform, he changed his mind completely. not even that, once he started to think of just seeing him again in general, he changed his mind. he </span>
  <span class="s3">wanted </span>
  <span class="s2">to see bokuto again. and that scared the hell out of him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">he began typing out his message. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <em>
    <span class="s3">what time should i be there?</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">it was a stupid message, considering his best friend was also on the team, and his other best friends boyfriend was on the team, and his other </span>
  <span class="s3">other </span>
  <span class="s2">best friends crush was on the team as well. but he didn’t think of that while texting bokuto. it was the fact that he could hear his voice in his message, he texted exactly how he talked. he could hear his loud and excited voice just from the extra exclamation marks. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">he smiled a bit before sending the message, and after, he let out a huge breath, and realized he stopped breathing while typing out the message. screw crushes, and screw bokuto for making him feel like a teenage schoolgirl. this was messing with his mind. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">to distract his mind from his crush and overthinking, he pulled a textbook and binder out of his book bag. he started his homework, even though it was saturday. plus, it would be good to get his studying and homework out of the way, even if it was a distraction. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">not even a minute later, his phone dinged and the screen lit up. he raised his eyebrows and pushed the book away from him, grabbing his phone. a text from bokuto. he texted back already? </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">he opened up his phone and read the text, a smile appearing at his lips immediately as his eyes scanned over the words. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <em>
    <span class="s3">12:35!!! but if you want a good seat then 12:25!!!!!!! cant wait to see you again!!!!!</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">he giggled at how easy it was to hear bokuto in his text. he could hear his excitement, hear the happiness. it made him smile. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">he was also excited, despite the fact he wasn’t physically showing it. he would be seeing bokuto again, and not just for a tutor session, he’d be going to his game. a game. his smile disappeared, and was easily replaced with an anxious frown.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">a game full of loud screams and cheers, and full of people sitting around him. loud squeaks of sneakers against the gym floor, piercing whistles from the referees.</span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">this was a nightmare for akaashi. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">but then he thought about bokuto again, and the smile was back. he imagined bokuto’s loud laugh and his wide grin, his crazy hair, his eyes. the intense eye contact he always held. the way his bi hand engulfed his completely, how soft his hands felt, how their hands looked and felt so perfect holding each other. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">he thought about bokuto talking about stars, about leo and regulus, and red and blue stars. blood was rushing to his cheeks and he quickly shook the bokuto thoughts away and began to text him back. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <em>
    <span class="s3">can’t wait to see you eith—</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">here we go again, akaashi thought as he deleted the text. he shook his head and pressed his lips into a firm line, and tried to text him again. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <em>
    <span class="s3">see you there :)</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">without thinking, he hit send. this just sent him into a bigger spiral of thoughts. what the hell was up with the smiley face? it was so tacky. bokuto didn’t use emoticons, and akaashi definitely didn’t seem like the person to use them, but it was too late. his stupid smitten mind sent the text without a second thought.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">he quickly threw his phone across the bed again and grabbed the textbook, and focused everything he had in his mind onto the book. he engaged his mind into the book and completely away from bokuto, and his stupid smile, and his stupid game that he stupidly agreed to go to tomorrow.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">———</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“do a twirl for us, akaash!” oikawa clapped excitedly. the brunette sat on the edge of akaashi’s bed, across from akaashi, who was standing in front of him. suga sat next to oikawa, grinning widely. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">he didn’t exactly remember how it happened, but somehow the two boys in front of him had managed to get akaashi to invite them over before the game. now, he regretted it. he was being dressed up by oikawa, and scolded for frowning and rolling his eyes too much by suga. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">akaashi rolled his eyes but complied, spinning around once to give the boys in front of him a full view of the outfit they dressed him in. he was wearing a navy blue sweater that was slightly too big for him, but hugged his frame nicely. he was also wearing black skinny jeans, rips torn at the knees. it obviously wasn’t his first choice.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">his usual choice of clothes besides his school uniform were sweatshirts and jeans, stuff that didn’t show off his frame or body. oikawa and suga were the exact opposite, they loved wearing clothes that showed off their hips or their waist, and oikawa more than anyone else loved wearing crop tops, and even skirts sometimes. he wasn’t judging at all, he simply didn’t have the confidence his best friend did. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">oikawa had an abundance of confidence, but that was expected. he was a dancer, specifically ballet. he had long legs, and he was tall. he knew that he looked good, and he would revel in the fact that people thought that about him as well. it’s where his egotistical attitude came from. he was lucky to have iwaizumi to humble him, or else his head would probably fall off from the size of his ego. that still didn’t stop him from dressing in more feminine and revealing clothes, and rocking it every time.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“hm..” oikawa scratched the bottom of his chin. “we should go shopping more often, akaashi. your wardrobe.. kind of sucks.” he said bluntly, which caused suga to elbow him in the side. oikawa yelped, grabbing his side and groaned, shutting his eyes tight. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“you hurt me, koushi.” he groaned dramatically, throwing his head back. suga just rolled his eyes, and turned back to akaashi, his smile reappearing. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“i think you look super cute, kaashi-kun!” suga swooned cheerfully, clasping his hands together. he jumped up to his feet and grabbed akaashi’s shoulders, pulling him close, locking his eyes with him. “and i know bokuto-san will think that too.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">akaashi stared into his gentle, chocolate brown eyes and nodded. suga shot him another grin, and let go of him. his throat was dry, and his heart was beating fast. he hoped bokuto would think he looked good. he couldn’t believe himself, how he sounded so much like a love struck schoolgirl, swooning over her crush. but it was true. he’d finally accepted that he had a crush on the boy, but he was afraid to do anything about it. that’s when he was thankful his meddling best friends for once. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">oikawa’s phone dinged as the screen lit up, and he grabbed his phone. akaashi watched as his eyes read the text, waiting for him to tell them what it said. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“iwaizumi says we should head over to the school now,” he announced as he texted him back a simple ‘<em>okay iwa-chan! &lt;3</em>’ before shutting his phone off and shoving it into his pocket. “remember, we’ll be with you the whole time.” he told akaashi reassuringly, rubbing his shoulder before walking out of the room. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“you ready?” suga smiled softly at him, holding out his hand for akaashi to take. he took a deep breath before taking his hand and nodding, walking out with him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">he waved a small goodbye to his mother, who was working on her laptop in the family room. she didn’t acknowledge him, and he let out a tiny sigh. suga noticed this and squeezed his hand in support. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">his parents, but more specifically his mother, didn’t care about anything but his grades and success. it affected akaashi deeply, and she didn’t care. he seeked for her approval more than anyone else, even though he knew he would never get it. nothing would ever be enough for his mother. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">the car ride to the game was loud, but that was expected with oikawa and suga. nicki minaj and oikawa’s terrible rapping filled the car, but he was grateful for the loud distraction. he was grateful he couldn’t hear his thoughts. it made him think about how fun the car ride was to the ice cream shop with bokuto. how he laughed and smiled the entire time.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">the gymnasium was crowded, and loud. akaashi could feel his palms sweating as he looked around, his eyes wide with anxiety. he knew he was safe as long as he stayed with oikawa and sugawara he would be fine, but he couldn’t help the nerves as both sides of the gymnasium cheered loudly. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">they took their seats on the home bleachers, akaashi sitting in between his two friends. his eyes scanned the gymnasium as he searched for bokuto, only to realize the team hasn’t even come out yet. he felt dumb as he hugged himself, staring down at his shoes. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">he winced as his schoolmates around them screamed and cheered suddenly, and he looked up, watching the team run out into the court. he went through each of the team players until he spotted bokuto. his shoulders loosened up a bit just from the sight of him, while at the same time, he nearly stopped breathing.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">bokuto was wearing his volleyball uniform, which consisted of small shorts, and a jersey that was tight around his torso. the black color of the outlines on the jersey made his pale skin look more dark and defined, and he could see the outlines of his muscles. he wanted to hold his arms, and trace the muscles with his fingers. his cheeks went red from the thought. the spiky-haired boy also had knee pads that covered his thighs, but he could see the tiniest sliver of thigh below his shorts. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">he sat up straight when bokuto raised his arms up, flexing his muscles as he yelled out, jumping up. the corners of his lips curved up a bit, and he fidgeted with his fingers subconsciously as he watched the boy hype up the crowd. he sure knew how to put on a show, and grab all the attention. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">bokuto’s eyes scanned the crowd, and widened when he spotted akaashi. he grinned wide, and waved excitedly to him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">akaashi buried his face in his hands, hiding his blush, but even from bokuto’s distance, he could see his pink flushed cheeks through the gaps of his fingers, which only made him smile wider. he continued to look at him until he felt a hard hand slap his back, and he tore his eyes away from akaashi to look at iwaizumi, who held a glare upon his face. he looked up at where bokuto was staring, but instead of spotting akaashi, his eyes immediately found oikawa.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">oikawa smiles and shot him a playful wink, and blew him a kiss, before creating a heart shape with his hands. iwaizumi rolled his eyes and shook his head, but smiled and blushed, causing the brunette boy next to akaashi to giggle. “i love him so much~” he sighed happily, resting his elbows on his thighs, and holding his face within his palms. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">both suga and akaashi turned to oikawa, and while suga smiled sweetly, akaashi rolled his eyes. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“you’re making me feel sick.” he said dryly, looking away from him. his eyes found bokuto again. he watched as he hyped up his team, hitting them on the back and jumping up and down a bit. he loved the way he could make them all smile without any effort. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">the referee blew his whistle, and the game began. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">throughout the game, bokuto’s team dominated. akaashi was fascinated by the game. the anxiety from the loud cheers and the crowds surrounding him had disappeared because of how engaged he was into the game. he didn’t know any of the terms for what was happening, but he was loving it. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">he knew that bokuto was the ace of the team, due to his constant bragging about how he scored the most points with his spikes, which automatically made him the ace, in his own words. during their study sessions, he would explain to akaashi how the game worked, and what the positions were, and what they did. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">he couldn’t take his eyes off of bokuto, and every time he successfully spiked or scored a point, he would internally cheer, and smile. he definitely didn’t have the guts to cheer out loud, at least not yet. but it was easy to see how into the game he was from just looking at his facial expressions. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">the world around him was faded, and all he could see was bokuto.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">however, within the next few minutes, all of bokuto’s spikes were blocked. akaashi could see the boy becoming more and more aggravated, and it sort of stung his heart when he saw how disappointed he seemed of himself. he wished he had the confidence to yell to bokuto, to tell him to look at him, and calm down, and focus on the game, and try to work his way around the blocks. but he couldn’t. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">the guest team had soon scored enough points to catch up, and bokuto had become even more upset. he was slouching and sulking around the court, and the setter had even stopped tossing to him, because his emotions were interfering with his skills. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">he looked to the crowd with a sad frown, which made akaashi frown. he hated seeing him upset. even if he hadn’t known bokuto for too long, seeing him sad stung. the two boys sitting next to him also had somewhat defeated looks upon their faces. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">akaashi stared into bokuto’s eyes, hoping he would feel the eye contact as he himself did the past few times. and thankfully, he did. the familiar pair of golden eyes met his, and he smiled a bit when he saw bokuto immediately stand up straighter, his frown transforming into a confident smile, which caused akaashi to let out a tiny laugh before he covered his mouth with his hand, his smile growing bigger.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">it usually took a lot to make akaashi smile, and even more to make him laugh, but bokuto did it effortlessly every time.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“akaashi!” bokuto shouted happily, raising his hands up and waving his arms around. akaashi’s eyes widened when he yelled his name and he sort of sunk in his seat when a big majority of his schoolmates around him turned to look at him. he covered the rest of his face with his hands, and created a gap with his fingers at his eyes to peek at bokuto, who didn’t seem to notice how embarrassed he was, he just kept his eyes on him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">akaashi gestured back to the game, and bokuto looked over at the court, before looking back at him and nodding, shooting him a wide grin before running over. the next set, he immediately called for the ball, and when the ball was tossed to him, he spiked it down without getting blocked. and then he did it again. and again, until they won the first set.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“how’d you do that?!” oikawa shook akaashi’s shoulders, his eyes wide. suga was also staring at him with the same questioning look on his face. “once bokuto-san hits his emo mode, it usually takes him a while to get riled up again! you just did it effortlessly!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">akaashi looked at the two of them before shrugging, his deadpan back. “i don’t know. he looked at me and became confident again, that’s all.” he explained dryly as he watched the game, smiling in his head each time bokuto scores another point. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“it was obviously so much more than that, akaash.” suga chuckled before turning his attention back to the game, standing up and cheering loudly when daichi, suga’s longtime crush, scored a point. daichi looked over at suga and smiled, sending a thumbs up before turning back to the game. suga’s eyes widened as he sat back down. “i think i’m going to faint.” he dramatically leaned against akaashi, resting his weight on him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">akaashi rolled his eyes and pushed him back up, which didn’t take much effort, because he sat straight up at the same time when a big crash sound came from the court. a painfully sounding moan followed. oikawa stood up, his face full of panic, <em>(because he knows that moan.)</em> akaashi looked back at the court to see iwaizumi laying on the ground, clutching his leg, which was bent way out of shape, and bokuto towering over his body, with a look of panic. iwaizumi’s face contorted into pain as he let out another loud groan, before he was gently lifted up by two of his teammates, and walked over to the coach. the game paused. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">the gymnasium was silent. oikawa looked like he was on the verge of tears. suga reached over and grabbed his hand, giving him a reassuring look, trying to calm him down, but the boy just shook his head quickly, pinching the bridge of his nose so no tears would escape. iwaizumi was walked out of the gymnasium, supposedly down to the nurses office. he swatted suga’s hand away gently before standing up, a tiny whimper escaping from his lips.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“i have to go with him,” oikawa nodded, his voice cracking. he proceeded to quickly step off of the bleachers before running after his boyfriend. akaashi scanned the gymnasium for bokuto, and raised an eyebrow slightly when he found the boy was already looking at him, panic in his eyes. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">he had a remorseful look on his face. akaashi wasn’t watching when iwaizumi got hurt, but apparently he and bokuto had ran up for the same spike, despite iwaizumi calling the ball. it seemed that bokuto got too excited, and then he collided with iwaizumi. he looked guilty. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">akaashi looked down for a second before looking back at bokuto, who still had his eyes glued onto him. he sat up straighter and mouthed, “you can do this.” bokuto stood up a bit straighter and nodded. daichi, the team captain, had watched the interaction, so he sent the referee a thumbs up. the referee blew his whistle, and the game continued. akaashi sighed in relief, rubbing the temple of his forehead. suga was surprised to see akaashi so invested, and he couldn’t help but smile despite what had just happened, because he could tell bokuto was bringing his friend out of his shell. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">—————</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">after the game, suga and akaashi were waiting outside of the gymnasium for daichi and bokuto. oikawa was still at the nurses station with iwaizumi. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“at least they won,” akaashi mumbled sharply, leaning against the wall. he watched everyone walking out of the gymnasium, his body tensing up every time someone passed by them that resembled bokuto slightly, even if it was just by height. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">soon enough, daichi and bokuto exited the gym, spotting the two boys almost immediately. they walked over, and while they were tired and still upset over iwaizumi, they both looked happy to see suga and akaashi. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“you didn’t need to wait for us,” daichi rubbed the back of his neck as he smiled at suga, who was staring at him with the most obvious love eyes. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“awe, of course we waited for you! we came to see you. good job out there, <em>captain~</em>.” suga grinned, standing up straighter to level his height with the taller boy, although it didn’t do much. their height difference wasn’t huge, but whenever suga was talking about daichi, he always mentioned how he loved that he was taller than him, even it was only by a few inches.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">it made him think about the height difference between him and bokuto. there barely was any, maybe around two or three inches. but the main difference was that bokuto was just bigger than him. he was really muscular and thick, compared to akaashi, who wasn’t super skinny, but wasn’t as muscular as bokuto. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">bokuto walked over to akaashi and smiled widely, leaning close to his face. “i’m so glad you came, akaash! i don’t think i would’ve been able to get back into the game if you hadn’t cheered me on.” he told him. one thing about bokuto was that he maintained eye contact the entire time he was talking to someone. it made his words seem much more meaningful, and because akaashi had a crush on him, staring into his eyes just quickened the beat of his heart. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“i didn’t do much, bokuto-san.” akaashi looked away sheepishly, but the boy in front of him followed his eyes, making sure to maintain the eye contact.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“that’s not true! after what happened to iwaizumi, i felt so bad! but just seeing you made me feel better.” he grinned proudly, crossing his arms over his chest. akaashi stared at his arms, at the muscles and how thick they were, and wondered how it felt to be held in them. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">he gave him a tiny smile, which made bokuto look even more proud. he knew how difficult it was to get him to smile, even just the littlest bit. the fact he could do it with so much ease made him happy. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">akaashi leaned against the wall, staring down at his shoes. “um.. well, i think you did really good, bokuto-san.” he told him, looking back up at him, wincing when he made immediate eye contact with bokuto again, as if he never took his eyes off of him in the first place.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“thanks, akaash!” he pumped a fist up in the air, before spotting a loose strand of hair in front of akaashi’s eyes. he leaned in close to his face to move it out of the way. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">akaashi’s eyes widened a bit at how close bokuto was, his face not even two inches away from his own. he glanced down at his lips for a quick second as bokuto’s fingers brushed against his skin, moving the strand of hair behind his ear. his eyes followed akaashi’s, and he smiled when he found them on his lips, which quickly made akaashi look away from his lips and away from his face, turning his head to the side. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">bokuto let out a small laugh and pulled away, standing up straight. “there you go!” it seemed as if he never stopped smiling. “are you busy right now?” he asked, the question coming out of nowhere. akaashi looked back at him, making eye contact again. how come he was always looking into his eyes? he couldn’t tell if this was a normal thing for bokuto to do, or if he was doing this to him on purpose. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“uhm.. i don’t know. why?” akaashi asked, trying to ignore the intense stare bokuto was giving him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“well i love that you came to my game, but i’m also kinda disappointed because i wanted to spend time with you! i guess i didn’t really think that through,” he chuckled to himself, scratching the back of his head. “so i was wondering if you wanted to spend time with me right now since the game is over?” he suggested, holding his hands behind his back, giving akaashi a hopeful smile. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">akaashi blushed and looked down at his shoes. as much as he wanted to spend more time with bokuto, he was also very overwhelmed. things were moving fast, even if barely anything has happened. he wasn’t sure if he was ready to spend more one on one time with bokuto outside of their study sessions. “i’d like to bokuto-san, but aren’t you tired?” he asked, scratching his head gently. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">bokuto’s face fell a bit for just a few seconds before he nodded, perking up again. akaashi was beginning to wonder if this energy was just for show, or if he was genuinely this hyper all the time. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“actually, now that i think about it, i am really tired!” he laughed. akaashi wanted to hear that laugh a thousand times, he played the sound over and over in his head, he loved the way his chest moved up and down when he laughed, and how full it sounded. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“so maybe we should take a rain check.” akaashi nodded. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">bokuto jumped up a bit, grinning widely. “that sounds great, akaashi! when do you want to hang out? i want to spend time with you so much.” he told him. akaashi wondered how he wasn’t embarrassed at all by his words, and how he could be so forward without feeling self conscious or insecure. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“let’s figure it out during our next study session?” akaashi suggested, but that only made bokuto frown. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“i have to wait that long?!” he drooped, slouching his shoulders down, before looking to see if he made akaashi smile, which he did. he stood up straight again, letting out another tiny laugh. “just kidding! that sounds great.” he nodded excitedly. akaashi smiled and nodded back, and looked over to suga to see if he was ready to go. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">suga was caught up talking with daichi, who looked pretty flustered throughout the conversation. he was surprised, it sort of reminded akaashi of how bokuto made him blush so easily without any effort, suga seemed to have that same effect on daichi. akaashi reached over to gently tap suga’s shoulder, and he looked over at him, still smiling. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“oh, are you ready to go, kaashi-kun?” he shot him a sweet smile. akaashi cringed internally when he used the nickname in front of bokuto, who raised his eyebrows when suga called him that. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“sorry, i guess we lost track of time.” daichi gave akaashi a small smile, rubbing his shoulder as a nervous laugh escaped his lips. akaashi waved it off, shaking his head. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“it’s okay.” he told daichi, and looked back at suga, giving him a little look to tell him that he was ready to go home, mostly because he needed to get away from bokuto and process what had just happened between them. suga nodded, and looked back at daichi. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“i’ll see you tomorrow then.” he grinned, and daichi nodded, fidgeting with his fingers behind his back. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“yeah! i-i’ll pick you up around seven.” he told him. his body language was a little awkward, the two of them were both unsure of what to do next, but suga leaned up and went in for a hug, kissing his cheek before grabbing akaashi’s hand, pulling him away quickly so he could leave daichi flustered. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">akaashi chuckled under his breath as he walked away with suga, glancing back over his shoulder to see daichi staring at the two of them with wide eyes, and bokuto with his usual, cute and eager grin. he turned back to suga. “you’re such a tease, koushi.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“i know, right?” suga waggled his eyebrows, and akaashi just rolled his eyes playfully, shaking his head as he pushed the doors to the school open, the cold air hitting his face. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. four</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>cat cafes</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>so sorry for not posting for like a month!! this chapter took SO long to write, and i’m sorry it’s so bad it’s rushed because i needed to get it published. but just a warning, get ready for some tooth rotting fluff.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>akaashi stood in the lunch line with oikawa and iwaizumi. he was doing his best to balance two trays of food in his hands, one for himself and one for iwaizumi. iwaizumi rolled his eyes and reached a hand out, letting go of one of his crutches, balancing it under his arm. “i can carry it!” he protested but oikawa just shook his head.</p><p>iwaizumi had broken his leg from the impact of knocking into bokuto and falling to the ground. more specifically, his right leg had a tibia-fibula fracture. he would be wearing a cast for six to twelve weeks, and using crutches. and as it goes for volleyball, he was pretty much out for the season. he was really upset about it, although he wouldn’t show it. but oikawa was super perceptive as ever and figured it out immediately. it was the last season in his high school volleyball career, there’s no way he wouldn’t be upset.</p><p>“invalids don’t get to carry their own shit.” he scoffed, shaking his head again. he grabbed an onigiri and placed it onto his tray. akaashi watched him, and then glanced at the onigiri, pouting a bit when he realized his hands were full and he couldn’t reach out and take one. oikawa saw this and chuckled, grabbing one for him and setting it down on the tray. “you and your damn onigiri. that addiction can’t be healthy.” he raised an eyebrow at akaashi.</p><p>akaashi simply shrugged, a small smirk playing at his lips. “it’s love, your honor.” he joked, walking over to the area to pay. oikawa grabbed his school ID from akaashi’s pocket and scanned it on the card reader before putting it back. the three of them made their way to their regular lunch table, where suga was already sat.</p><p>with a struggling effort, akaashi set iwaizumi’s tray down and then his own, sitting down next to suga. oikawa helped iwaizumi sit down, and then sat down himself, letting out a large sigh. “helping out cripples is so tiring!” he exclaimed dramatically.</p><p>iwaizumi glared at him. “oh so i’m a cripple now?” he raised an eyebrow, taking a bite of his onigiri.</p><p>“you’re using crutches for twelve weeks, you’re a cripple.” oikawa laughed a bit, and then grabbed his fork from his tray. “does iwa-chan need me to help feed him?” he asked in an annoying, innocent tone, waving the fork in his face. iwaizumi scoffed and slapped his hand away, shaking his head.</p><p>suga just giggled, grabbing chopsticks and opening his bento box. he always packed one for himself every morning. akaashi envied his responsibility. he barely could feed himself, the only time he really ate was lunch at school, and he usually tried to avoid dinner whenever he could. dinners at his home were awful for akaashi. his parents grilled him for his grades nonstop, even if they were perfect, ‘they could always be better.’ that’s all he ever heard. most nights he distracted himself with his studies or went over to one of his friends house.</p><p>akaashi was about to take a bite of his onigiri when there were suddenly multiple loud voices at their table. he looked up, and nonetheless, the entire volleyball team had them surrounded, crowding around iwaizumi. oikawa, of course, was soaking in all the attention, and suga didn’t seem to mind, he was mostly focused on talking to daichi, leaving akaashi alone, staring at bokuto with wide eyes.</p><p>“hey!” iwaizumi smiled wide at his teammates. despite what had happened, he wasn’t looking at his injury with a sour and bitter attitude. what bokuto had done was a complete accident, everyone knew that. daichi looked away from suga when iwaizumi spoke up and chuckled.</p><p>“hey! how are you feeling? we missed you at practice yesterday.” he told him, keeping his voice calm and gentle. although iwaizumi wouldn’t let it show, he really was heartbroken over the injury.</p><p>iwaizumi just shrugged, still smiling. “i’m fine. the cast itches like hell though.” he gestured down to his leg, and went to scratch it, but oikawa slapped his hand away, giving him a glare that read ‘don’t you dare, iwa-chan.’</p><p>daichi chuckled and nodded. “take it easy, dude. we all just wanted to say hi and see how you’re doing.” he smiled and then turned his attention back to suga. akaashi looked around the group until he found bokuto, hiding behind one of the teammates.</p><p>iwaizumi seemed to notice this too. “bo?” he raised an eyebrow, laughing a bit. bokuto popped his head out from behind the teammate, but he looked guilty. oikawa just smiled and waved for him to come over. “c’mere.”</p><p>bokuto pursed his lips before walking over to oikawa and iwaizumi, holding his hands behind his back, fidgeting with his fingers. “i just want to apologize again.. it’s my fault you’re out for the season.” he let out a heavy sigh, looking down at his shoes. iwaizumi couldn’t look less amused. “and i’m really sorry i broke your leg! i– i didn’t mean to, i just got so excited for the ball and..” he trailed off, chewing on the bottom of his lip.</p><p>“bo, it’s okay, don’t worry.” iwaizumi laughed, shaking his head. akaashi chuckled a bit as he took the last bite of his onigiri and watched the rest of the interaction, bokuto apologizing one more time and even bowing, which prompted oikawa to burst out laughing. once iwaizumi assured bokuto again that it really was okay and he wasn’t mad, bokuto averted his attention to akaashi, locking his eyes with him immediately.</p><p>akaashi sat up, his eyes widening as he swallowed his onigiri, a little bit too early, causing him to choke. his face went red as he coughed and he quickly covered his mouth, and cursed himself silently for not buying a water or juice. bokuto quickly sat down across from him and pulled out his own water bottle from his bag, handing it to akaashi. “here! drink!” he offered. if he didn’t look so determined to help, akaashi would’ve declined. but, he was still choking and bokuto looked so cute, so he took the water bottle and drank quickly, letting out a tiny cough and sigh.</p><p>“thank you, bokuto-san.” he nodded, handing him back the water bottle. bokuto took it and grinned, leaning closer across the table.</p><p>“no problem! don’t want you dying on me!” he laughed. akaashi couldn’t help the small smile that creeped at the corners of his lips. despite feeling guilty about iwaizumi, the second he saw akaashi, he somehow managed to block all of those sad feelings away, and felt better and happier. after a moment of just staring at each other, bokuto spoke up again.</p><p>“so remember when we said we could take a rain check after my game on saturday?” he asked, golden eyes bright and excited. akaashi nodded, staying quiet. he gestured for him to continue, and bokuto did so gladly. “well, i found this really cool cafe, and i really wanna take you there today!” he suggested.</p><p>if akaashi hadn’t finished his onigiri already, he would’ve choked all over again. he wasn’t sure if it was the way bokuto worded it, but it sounded like he was asking him on a date, just in a more casual way. and he knew that bokuto liked him thanks to his friends, and he finally accepted that he also liked him. this would be a good thing, if it was a date.</p><p>what if he was jumping to conclusions though? what if this wasn’t a date and it was just two friends hanging out, platonically? he could feel a sting in his heart from just the thought, but it was still too early to think it could be a date. this couldn’t be a date. if it was anyone else, he would be saying no immediately. but for bokuto, he found himself saying,</p><p>“uhm, sure, bokuto-san. what time?”</p><p>this made bokuto happy. extremely happy. his shoulders shot up, along with his eyebrows. he looked somewhat shocked, actually. “really?!” he smiled wide.</p><p>akaashi nodded, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion. why was he so surprised? well, bokuto liked akaashi, and akaashi knew this. but did bokuto know that akaashi liked him back? probably not, he wouldn’t think of his friends to tell him. “yeah.. what time were you thinking?” he repeated his question.</p><p>bokuto’s wide smile easily turned into a sheepish one as he looked down. “well actually, i didn’t think of the time, i didn’t think i’d get this far!” he laughed a bit, looking back up at akaashi, who was now smiling with him. that seemed to cheer him up right away.</p><p>“let’s figure it out during our tutoring session later today.” akaashi nodded as he began fidgeting with his fingers. this was the part of a conversation where they would either part ways, or continue. the problem was, akaashi never knew how to continue.</p><p>“okay!!” bokuto replied immediately, nodding his head a little bit too enthusiastically, making a few strands of hair fall in front of his eyes. akaashi laughed at that, and began coughing again slightly, residue of choking still in his throat. bokuto’s eyes widened and he grabbed his water bottle again for akaashi to drink. “here!” he offered it to him.</p><p>akaashi smiled as a thank you and took the water bottle, taking another big gulp from it again. it seemed that the conversation was over, now they were just staring at each other with stupid smiles and expressions on their faces. “uhm..” akaashi fumbled with the water bottle in his hands.</p><p>bokuto felt a tap on his shoulder and looked up to see one of his teammates gesturing that they should get back to their own lunch table. he nodded and turned back to akaashi, smiling wide again before getting up and leaving. akaashi watched him walk away, the same stupid smile still plastered across his face.</p><p>once he was gone, he took another sip from the water bottle, a smaller one this time. he turned to oikawa, who was staring at him with a smug smirk on his lips. “what?” he asked as he lowered the water bottle from his lips.</p><p>“you just second-hand kissed bokuto.” he hummed, giggling to himself as akaashi’s eyes widened. akaashi grabbed a fork from his tray and threw it at oikawa. “not the face!” he dramatically gasped, shielding his face with his hands. akaashi rolled his eyes and turned away from him, staring down at the water bottle. bokuto seemed to forget to ask for it back, so he was stuck holding it and smiling at it like an idiot. he definitely wasn’t going to give it back.</p><p>———</p><p>akaashi was in the library, sitting across the table from bokuto. it was around five, and bokuto has been reading the same paragraph for ten minutes. it was easy to see his mind was elsewhere, but for the first time ever, he was quiet. he wasn’t talking, he wasn’t babbling about volleyball and his amazing spikes, or ‘hey akaashi, did you know i have two older sisters?!’ and such.</p><p>was it weird to say that akaashi missed it? he could tell something was up. he stared at bokuto as he read the paragraph for what seemed like the ten thousandth time, his tongue sticking out of the side of his mouth. finally, he cleared his throat, and bokuto looked up. “bokuto-san, is everything alright?” he asked slowly, his expression blank and placid, despite his slight concern for the boy in front of him.</p><p>bokuto’s eyes widened for a second before he nodded. “i’m fine, akaash! i’m just.. not good at reading.” he admitted, letting out a frustrated groan. akaashi hummed in response and lowered his eyes away from bokuto to stare at his own hands.</p><p>well, they’ve been at it for almost an hour now, and bokuto was getting nowhere. they haven’t even completed one assignment, and from the looks of it, it didn’t seem like they would anytime soon. “..how about we call it a day?” akaashi suggested, a small sigh escaping his lips.</p><p>of course, bokuto perked right up at this, a smile immediately appearing at his lips. “really?! that sounds great, kaashi!” he slammed the book closed without thinking of how loud it would be, and grabbed his phone from his bag to check the time. “hmm.. it’s only ten past five, we still have loads of time!” he exclaimed cheerfully.</p><p>akaashi raised an eyebrow. “loads of time for what? i thought we were done for the day.” he thought out loud, mostly to himself. today had been quite eventful for him, he’s forgotten all about the alleged ‘date’ that might not even be a date. first, he held onto bokuto’s water bottle all day, and he didn’t plan on giving it back anytime soon. next, he had three tests. of course he was prepared, but it was still extremely stressful. he didn’t have any time to overthink about going out with bokuto.</p><p>“to take you to the cafe! i think you’re gonna love it.” bokuto grinned as he twirled a pencil between his index and middle finger. akaashi couldn’t help the blush rising at his cheeks. he originally had wanted to go home, and relax. stop by the store and grab some onigiri, and take a nap. avoid his stress and responsibilities with sweet dreams. but that idea disappeared when bokuto wanted to take him out.</p><p>“sure, bokuto-san.” he nodded, and then began packing up once bokuto hummed, pleased with the response. he followed akaashi’s lead and packed up as well, less carefully than akaashi though, as he shoved papers mindlessly into his backpack, rather than placing them carefully into certain labelled folders, like akaashi was doing. akaashi raised an eyebrow at his chaos, but decided to stay quiet about it. he wasn’t even that surprised, throughout the few days he’s known bokuto, chaotic was a pretty good word to describe him, and he meant that in the good way.</p><p>once they had finished packing their things up, bokuto stood up and swung his backpack over his shoulder and started walking out, assuming akaashi would just follow, which he did. bokuto walked fast, which was expected considering all the energy he had.</p><p>once they got to the truck, akaashi waited for bokuto to open the door, which he did. he didn’t forget the first time they went out together, how bokuto was so set on opening every door they came across for akaashi. akaashi hopped into the seat and gave bokuto a tiny smile, which earned him a gigantic, toothy grin.</p><p>he would never get sick of that grin. it was full of joy, and heart. he wanted to see it all the time, and thanks to bokuto’s wild energy, he saw it pretty often.</p><p>bokuto closed the door and ran around to his side of the truck and plopped down into his seat, and turned the truck on, the same smile still plastered across his cheeks. “any music requests?” he asked, not facing akaashi as he plugged his phone into the bluetooth system in the truck.</p><p>akaashi just shrugged. “anything is fine, bokuto-san.” in all honesty, he didn’t really listen to that much music. he mostly just listened to whatever his friends suggested or played while he was around. on his own time, he preferred listening to podcasts, or just having the tv on in the background while he studied. he could never have it be completely silent though. he needed the background hum-buzz noises to keep him going, or else he’d drown in his thoughts.</p><p>“okay.. here, i think you’re gonna like this song!” bokuto said cheerfully, opening the music app on his phone. he squinted his eyes and stuck his tongue out of the side of his mouth as he scrolled his finger down his albums and songs until he tapped one. he turned the volume up slightly and then stared at akaashi with a wide smile as music started to fill the car.</p><p>akaashi raised his eyebrows. it was an american song, he could tell because he could barely understand what the singer was saying. but it was really good. the song was when the sun goes down, by arctic monkeys. it was a sort of alternative rock song, and bokuto was humming along and mouthing the words playfully at akaashi, still smiling.</p><p>it reminded him of when they were first together driving to the ice cream shop. akaashi couldn’t help but laugh at bokuto and also the memory, and he went to cover his mouth with his hand but bokuto raised an eyebrow and gave him a knowing look, and akaashi lowered his hand, smiling.</p><p>“i wouldn’t have pegged you to like rock music, bokuto-san.” he chuckled as bokuto swung his head around dramatically to the beat. bokuto’s eyes widened at that.</p><p>he turned to look at akaashi as they hit a red light. “oh totally! especially american rock, it’s so good! do you listen to rock too?!” he asked excitedly, locking his eyes with akaashi.</p><p>there it was. the super strong eye contact bokuto always held that made akaashi’s knees weak and wobble. “no.. i don’t. but this is really good.” akaashi told him, the small smile growing bigger at the pleased face bokuto had.</p><p>“i’m gonna make you a playlist of all the songs that remind me of you and the ones i think you’ll like!” bokuto exclaimed, nodding to himself, as if he just said it without thinking. and knowing bokuto, that was most likely the case. akaashi quickly tucked his face into his shoulder to hide the bright red blush that was sporting his cheeks.</p><p>unlike the drive to the ice cream shop, this one wasn’t as long. the cafe was in the area, so it really only took around ten minutes. the rest of the ride consisted of bokuto singing at the top of his lungs and mimicking guitar solos, and little shoulder dances as he drove. once they arrived, bokuto parked the car and hopped out quickly to open akaashi’s door. then, he stuck his hand out expectantly, and akaashi raised an eyebrow at him confused.</p><p>then, it hit him. “o-oh.” akaashi mumbled under his breath as he took his hand, carefully climbing out of the car. he’d forgotten that last time he got out of the truck, he fell. and as much as he wanted to be held in bokuto’s arms again when he caught him, he wanted to save himself the embarrassment.</p><p>the two of them froze for a moment, staring at each other while holding hands. akaashi loved bokuto’s touch. he was warm, and gentle. his hands were soft and smooth, and he wanted to hold them forever. bokuto snapped out of the trance and looked away, but he still never let go of his hand. instead, he began to pull akaashi along as he walked to the front of the cafe.</p><p>akaashi raised an eyebrow at the decorations of the cafe, and then read the sign. and then saw the cat sitting at the window sill. it all seemed to hit him then.</p><p>oh.</p><p>it was a cat cafe. bokuto brought him to a cat cafe.</p><p>that was probably the most cutest thing akaashi had ever seen. and if it weren’t for the fact that he was allergic to cats, he would’ve been completely ecstatic. instead, he was still happy and wanted to swoon at the excited smile bokuto had, but he was nervous. it wasn’t like he was deathly allergic to cats or anything, but they definitely prompted some sneezes and sniffles, and made him pretty itchy.</p><p>“i saw it opened up a few weeks ago and cats are so cute, and it reminded me of you and i just knew i had to take you!” bokuto explained, leaning close to the window to look at the cats. he made little baby noises at one sitting on a pillow at in the display, waving at it through the window. he let go of akaashi’s hand to kneel down and press his face up right against the window. “oh! oh hi little guy! hi!” he chuckled to himself, speaking in a high pitch voice.</p><p>akaashi wanted to collapse right there on the spot from the cuteness. bokuto was so adorable he wasn’t sure if he could stand straight. here was this big, muscular guy talking to cats through the window in a baby voice. he couldn’t help but pull out his phone and sneak a photo, smiling to himself.</p><p>bokuto stood up straight and grinned at akaashi. “are you ready to go in?” he asked. he was practically bouncing on his feet, and he looked like he was ready to burst with excitement. akaashi simply nodded and gestured for him to lead the way, but bokuto hesitated for a second before grabbing akaashi’s hand, pulling him along into the cafe.</p><p>akaashi blushed pink, and was glad he was behind bokuto and that bokuto was facing the other way, so he couldn’t see his blush. once they were inside, he looked around the cafe. there were cats and kittens all over, sitting in cool beds or towers, or playing on the ground with toys. he looked over at bokuto, who was smiling impossibly wide, ear to ear. his eyes were wide with excitement, and he immediately ran over to the nearest cat, tugging akaashi along with him.</p><p>“hi buddy!” he kneeled down, letting go of akaashi’s hand to pet the cat with both hands. the cat purred against bokuto’s hands, rubbing its face against his palm. he looked up at akaashi in awe. “akaash, he likes me!”</p><p>akaashi could probably guess why. bokuto was like a furnace. he was always warm, and it was extremely comforting. he sort of wished he was that cat, wishing bokuto’s palms were cupping his cheeks instead. “come say hi!” bokuto gestured for akaashi to kneel down next to him and pet the cat.</p><p>as if on cue, the cat walked over to akaashi, and rubbed against his leg, purring. he smiled, mostly because bokuto was staring at him with wide eyes, and a gigantic smile. “he likes you too!” he exclaimed.</p><p>akaashi let out a tiny giggle as he reached his hand out to pet the cat. the cat purred some more against his palm before walking away. he and bokuto stood back up when the host of the cafe walked over to seat them. they followed her and sat down at the table, akaashi quietly thanking her.</p><p>just as he was about to pick up a menu, an orange and black spotted calico kitten leaped onto the table from the cat tower behind them, causing akaashi to yelp out in surprise. bokuto burst out laughing, which somehow calmed akaashi down easily from the mini heart attack the kitten had caused him. “hi little kitty!” bokuto cooed, brushing his thumb against her tiny face. akaashi smiled, watching how the kitten leaned into his touch.</p><p>then, he felt it. the first sneeze. he quickly brought a hand up to his face and pinched the bridge of his nose to hold in the sneeze. he didn’t want to ruin this for bokuto by sneezing and telling him he was allergic to cats, not when he looked so goddamn adorable petting the tiny little kitten that had leapt onto their table.</p><p>because it truly was adorable. of course kittens are small, but next to bokuto’s hands, the kitten looked impossibly tiny. was it possible to feel your heart clenching? because akaashi felt his chest tighten up at the sight.</p><p>unfortunately, the sight came to end when the waitress came over to the table. the kitten hopped off of the table and wandered away, leaving bokuto and akaashi with just their menus.</p><p>“have you two decided what you want?” the waitress asked, a practiced smile sat upon her lips. akaashi glanced down at the menu, and gasped when he saw the cat-shaped onigiri. bokuto raised an eyebrow and leaned over, grinning wide when he saw what akaashi was staring at. the waitress caught sight as well, and her smile became more genuine. “that’s our onigiri, molded into a cat shape. it’s our chef’s speciality.” she explained, and then leaned a little closer. “and my favorite on the menu!” she winked playfully.</p><p>akaashi just smiled and nodded, handing his menu to her. “i’ll have that and the house-made udon please.”</p><p>she hummed in response and turned to bokuto, who looked very focused on the menu. “i think.. i’ll have the okonomiyaki.” he confirmed, and handed her his menu as well. she gave them one last smile before leaving the table.</p><p>bokuto was still grinning when he turned to akaashi. “i take it you really like onigiri?” he asked, leaning over the table to get closer to him. akaashi laughed, not even thinking about covering his smile.</p><p>“like is an understatement.” akaashi smiled at him. “it’s my favorite thing to eat.” he told bokuto. bokuto’s eyes lit up at that.</p><p>“so.. if you had to eat only one food for the rest of your life, it would be onigiri?!” he asked excitedly, leaning even closer to akaashi, their faces just a few inches apart.</p><p>akaashi blushed and cleared his throat, backing away a bit. “definitely. what about you, bokuto-san? what’s your favorite food?” he asked. it felt sort of stupid, like they were playing twenty questions, but he was genuinely interested in whatever bokuto had to say.</p><p>“hmm.. probably takoyaki! or.. dorayaki! or melon pan! or..” bokuto trailed off, trying to think of various foods to pick as his favorite. akaashi just giggled at how seriously he was taking his simple question.</p><p>“you like sweet stuff?” he asked, leaning closer. bokuto perked up at that, and grinned widely. “love it!” he pumped a fist in the air, and then looked up behind akaashi’s head, where a cat tower stood. and on top, the calico kitten from before was back, and it looked ready to climb down from the tower, onto akaashi’s head.</p><p>bokuto quickly pulled out his phone and started recording. akaashi furrowed his eyebrows. “are you taking a picture of me?” he asked, confused. but, then he wasn’t confused when he felt the first paw of the kitten step onto his head. he quickly covered his mouth with his hands as he looked up with his eyes, not daring to move. he watched as the kitten made itself comfortable on his head, nuzzling against the dark curls of his hair.</p><p>“oh my god,” bokuto whispered, his eyes blown wide at what was happening in front of him. the kitten was now nestled in akaashi’s curls, purring as it fell asleep. “you’re like the kitty whisperer, kaashi.” he giggled, ending the video. after taking a few more photos of akaashi and the kitten, he sent a few to iwaizumi and then shut his phone off.</p><p>akaashi was frozen still. the kitten was fast asleep on his head, and he needed to rub his nose, which was becoming itchier by the second. but he didn’t want to disturb the kitten, and bokuto looked incredibly happy and excited just watching the kitten sleep in his hair, he didn’t want to ruin it. “what do i do?” he asked as he began to carefully fidget with his fingers.</p><p>bokuto pursed his lips before standing up and reaching over the table, slowly and carefully scooping the kitten up into one hand, because it really was just that small. with his other hand, he patted akaashi’s hair back into place, not missing the chance to quickly run a hand through his curls. akaashi blushed madly and his his face with his palms as bokuto brought his hand away, smiling as he sat back down.</p><p>he held the kitten in his hand and stared down at it in awe. it was curled into a ball, purring against bokuto’s palm. akaashi wanted to melt on the spot, between the tiny kitten cuddled up in bokuto’s hand, and the smile on bokuto’s face. the smile was pure joy, and innocence, like how little kids smiled on christmas morning.</p><p>now, it was akaashi’s turn to take his phone out and snap a photo, which bokuto of course posed for, smiling so wide his eyes were pinched closed.</p><p>shortly after, the waitress came back with their plates, tin covers with cat ears on top of them. bokuto and akaashi both thanked her before she walked away. bokuto carefully set the kitten down on the ground, and rubbed his hands together excitedly at the food. he lifted the tin cover and gasped, as if he’s never seen okonomiyaki in his life.</p><p>if anything, akaashi should’ve been the one that was excited. as he lifted the tray, his eyes brightened up just at the sight of the cat shaped onigiri. as tacky as taking pictures of food was, akaashi couldn’t help but take a photo. it was so cute, he wasn’t sure he even wanted to eat it. he didn’t want to ruin it, but at the same time, the moment he took a small whiff of the plate in front of him, his stomach growled loudly, which prompted laughter from bokuto.</p><p>“you must be really hungry, huh?” he laughed some more before grabbing chopsticks and digging into his meal. akaashi raised his eyebrows as he watched bokuto eat. the only other time he’s seen him eat was when they got ice cream, and he figured he was just eating so fast because he was excited. but now, he knew.</p><p>bokuto was a super fast eater. he was practically inhaling the food, and akaashi had to lean closer and squint his eyes to make sure he was even swallowing.</p><p>he picked up the cat onigiri and sighed in content one more time, a small smile creeping up at his lips as he took a bite. he nearly let out a moan. the onigiri tasted so delicious, he let his eyes dramatically roll back.</p><p>bokuto burst out into more laughter. “it’s really good then?” he asked, taking some more bites of his okonomiyaki. akaashi nodded furiously, taking another bite, sighing happily at the sensation of his favorite food in his mouth.</p><p>“bokuto-san, this is so good.” he told him, and without thinking, he carefully tore off a small piece and handed it to bokuto, who took it gladly and shoved it into his mouth. his eyes widened as he nodded and chewed.</p><p>“this is really good, you’re right!” he exclaimed. akaashi’s smile only grew bigger at that. his crush eating onigiri with him? that was perfect, that was all he could ask for.</p><p>and before he knew it, bokuto was returning the favor, holding up a bite of okonomiyaki in his chopsticks and offering it to akaashi. he stared at him for a moment, confused before realization hit him. bokuto wanted to feed him.</p><p>could this man get anymore perfect?</p><p>with his heart beating a million miles per second, he opened his mouth and leaned forward, taking the bite of okonomiyaki in his mouth and chewing. bokuto stared at him as he waited for a response.</p><p>it was really tasty, (not as tasty as his onigiri, but a close second). he hummed happily in response, swallowing his bite. “that’s really good too. you have good taste.” he gave bokuto a small smile.</p><p>bokuto grinned widely, his eyes pinched closed again. “thanks akaash!” he pumped a fist up in the air before scarfing down the rest of the okonomiyaki. akaashi just giggled and continued eating. while eating, a comfortable silence settled between them. well, it was more comfortable for bokuto, because it was too quiet for akaashi.</p><p>he finished his onigiri and looked around, watching two cats chase each other. bokuto was watching as well, his eyes wide and excited. “man, i wish i was a cat!” he exclaimed.</p><p>akaashi raised an eyebrow. “why’s that, bokuto-san?” he asked, taking a sip of the complimentary green tea that came with their meals.</p><p>“no responsibilities, no school or homework.. you can just sleep, eat and play! and get pets and scratches!” he explained with a huge grin plastered to his cheeks. akaashi’s smile grew bigger.</p><p>“that’s true.. a cats life does sound nice.” he hummed, leaning on his elbows and resting his head in his palms, staring at bokuto. “but if you were a cat, you wouldn’t be able to play volleyball.” he told him.</p><p>bokuto’s eyes widened and he gasped. “oh my god, you’re totally right akaashi!” he nodded his head vigorously. “i change my mind! i would not like to be a cat!” he proclaimed loudly, crossing his arms over his chest with a ‘hmph!’ akaashi burst out into quiet laughter and tiny giggles, shaking his head. that seemed to make bokuto incredibly happy. “i love making you laugh.” he said without thinking, a huge stupid smile playing at his lips.</p><p>he was staring at akaashi with adoration in his eyes, like he was a treasure. akaashi’s never felt that kind of.. appreciation before. it made him feel warm and fuzzy, and it was new. he was confused, but content. he didn’t know what to say as his cheeks flushed pink. he didn’t even try hiding it this time. “i like it.. when you make me laugh too.” he said quietly, smiling down at his lap.</p><p>bokuto wanted to swoon. he wanted to gush on and on about how adorable and cute akaashi looked flustered in front of him. it was a little weird, but he felt proud of himself for making akaashi feel flustered, in the good way. it gave him some sort of confirmation that he was doing the whole flirting thing right, because if akaashi was blushing from what he said, he must have been doing something right, right?</p><p>the calico kitten from before jumped back onto their table, it’s tail brushing right past akaashi’s nose. his eyes widened, and before he knew it, a sneeze escaped him. bokuto’s eyes widened.</p><p>“akaash..” he said, his voice low. akaashi felt his knees go weak at how different his voice sounded. “are you allergic to cats?!” he asked, rather loudly.</p><p>akaashi choked on his words, just staring at bokuto as he stuttered, trying to think of something to say. “i– well.. yes?” his voice squeaked up at the end of his sentence, wincing. he expected bokuto to freak out, and he wasn’t far off.</p><p>bokuto gasped dramatically and grabbed akaashi’s hands, pulling him up from the table and walking over to the check out area. “why didn’t you tell me?! i would’ve brought you somewhere else, kaashi! now you’ll get sick!” he rambled on. akaashi was expecting him to be disappointed, or angry, but it was more worry and concern, and it was adorable, and heartwarming. he’s only known bokuto for around a week and a half, but he genuinely cared about him this much.</p><p>before he could protest, bokuto paid for their meals, and ushered akaashi out of the cat cafe. akaashi just giggled as bokuto gently pushed him out of the door. “you were so excited.. i didn’t want to ruin your fun.” he explained, fiddling with his hands behind his back. bokuto stayed silent for a second, and he grabbed akaashi’s shoulders, bringing him closer. his face went red, and this time it wasn’t just from the cats.</p><p>“i have fun no matter what if i’m with you.” he said. the look in his eyes was so pure, and genuine. he genuinely meant it. akaashi’s eyes widened. one, they were extremely close to each other, their faces only a few inches away. two, he just felt so.. cared for, and appreciated. of course he’s felt like that before, with his friends. but this time it felt different. it didn’t feel platonic the way it felt with oikawa or suga. he liked it.</p><p>he liked it a lot.</p><p>akaashi smiled and looked down for a few seconds before looking back up at bokuto, locking his eyes with him. “okay.” he said, but his voice was small, and it came out in a whisper. that seemed to be enough for bokuto, though. he let go of akaashi’s shoulders and started walking, not before grabbing his hand to pull him along, of course.</p><p>akaashi looked down at their hands tangled together and his smile grew bigger. it was so extremely cheesy, but their hands just fit together perfectly. his long fingers with the big size of bokuto’s hand, it felt comfortable and warm together.</p><p>———</p><p>after the cafe, they wound up driving around for a bit. the entire car ride was full of giggles and smiles as usual, but akaashi didn’t expect anything else. bokuto introduced him to a bunch of american rock bands, which he really enjoyed, even though he couldn’t understand a word of what they were saying. bokuto loved music. it was pretty surprising, considering he was so obsessed with sports, he’d never expect him to also be obsessed with american rock music. but he had a ton of knowledge, and didn’t hesitate to share fun facts with him.</p><p>he wasn’t ever that interested in music. but listening to bokuto speak about it, it was like he had a sudden new love for it. now, he wanted to listen to all the bands bokuto suggested, just so they could talk about it together. bokuto also told him that tonight, once he got home, he’d be making a playlist for akaashi, based on songs that he thought he would like.</p><p>once they reached his neighborhood, akaashi couldn’t help the frown at his lips. he didn’t want this night to end. he wanted to spend more time with bokuto, and get to know him more, even though with the amount of talking bokuto did, he already knew him pretty well. not to mention, since the day akaashi met him, he’d felt like he knew him his entire life.</p><p>“your house or iwaizumi’s?” bokuto asked, driving up onto his street. akaashi and iwaizumi lived across the street from each other.</p><p>“iwaizumi’s.” akaashi confirmed, nodding his head. he spent more time at iwaizumi’s than at his own home, and it wasn’t hard to guess why. if he had any chance to avoid his parents, he would take it in a heartbeat.</p><p>bokuto nodded and pulled up into iwaizumi’s driveway. “i’ll walk you to the door!” he said just as akaashi was about to open his car door and hop out. he really needed to remember that whenever he was with bokuto, opening doors for himself was off limits. it made him smile.</p><p>bokuto opened the car door and reached his hand out for akaashi to take, just as he did earlier. akaashi unbuckled and took his hand, hopping out of the truck. he closed the door behind him and smiled at bokuto as he walked him to the front door.</p><p>once they stopped at the final steps, they turned to look at each other. just from the eye contact, akaashi felt his cheeks heating up, and he felt it spread to his chest and ears.</p><p>“thank you for today, bokuto-san. it was really fun, even if i am allergic to cats.” akaashi couldn’t help the small giggle that escaped his lips. bokuto grinned widely.</p><p>“of course! i love spending time with you. but next time we won’t do anything that’ll get you sick!” he told him, his voice sounded as if he were announcing it to a crowd of people. it made his smile grow bigger. “..well, i’ll see you tomorrow, akaash!”</p><p>right before he was about to let go of his hand, akaashi tugged him closer. bokuto raised an eyebrow. “is everything okay?” he asked.</p><p>akaashi nodded, and took a deep breath. he wasn’t thinking. he was acting on pure instinct. that’s how he found himself asking, “bokuto-san, was this.. a date?” he looked up at him. insecurity wavered in his voice, but there was also a hint of hope, and bokuto caught it immediately. he smiled, squeezing akaashi’s hand.</p><p>“..do you want it to be?” he asked, answering his question with another question.</p><p>akaashi simply nodded, unable to conjure up any words. bokuto’s eyes brightened up at that, and akaashi swore he could see them sparkle. it was dark out now, and the porch light was shining down on them, and it reflected against bokuto’s skin in the best way. his golden eyes looked like they were shining.</p><p>“me too.” bokuto confirmed as he grabbed akaashi’s other hand. holding both of them now, it filled akaashi with warmth and comfort. it filled him with the urge to spread his arms out, and hug bokuto, and just collapse into his arms. but he contained himself, although he couldn’t resist the wide smile playing at his lips.</p><p>after about five minutes of just staring at each other with stupid smiles and love eyes, akaashi finally spoke up.</p><p>“goodnight, bokuto-san.”</p><p>“night, akaash!”</p><p>akaashi sighed once bokuto finally let go of his hands and walked away, getting into the truck and driving away. once he was gone, he slapped both hands over his mouth, his eyes widening in realization.</p><p>he just went on a date with bokuto.</p><p>he quickly opened the door to iwaizumi’s house and walked in, kicking his shoes off. he leaned against the door and slid down, his hands still hiding his mouth, hiding his stupid, love struck smile.</p><p>a few moments later, iwaizumi and oikawa walked over, smug smirks tugging at both of their lips. “did you have fun?” oikawa asked, waggling his eyebrows up and down suggestively. this time, iwaizumi didn’t even glare or nudge him.</p><p>akaashi just looked up at them and nodded. there was no use in denying it, not when he felt so high on whatever this rush he was feeling was. oikawa squealed and shook iwaizumi’s shoulders. “iwa-chan!! he didn’t even deny it!” he exclaimed, jumping up and down.</p><p>iwaizumi just chuckled and walked over, holding a hand out for akaashi to take. akaashi took it and let himself be dragged up onto his feet. the three boys made their way into the kitchen, where they all plopped down at the table.</p><p>“he took me to a cat cafe.” akaashi told them.</p><p>“oh my god, that’s the cutest thing ever!” oikawa swooned, clasping his hands together.</p><p>“aren’t you allergic to cats?” iwaizumi asked, raising an eyebrow. akaashi just nodded, the stupid smile still there. it was like his lips were trapped in a magical trance, forever smiling. iwaizumi chuckled, shaking his head. “so was it a date?” he asked.</p><p>akaashi quickly nodded his head, his smile growing impossibly bigger. he was even showing his teeth. oikawa gasped and nearly fell out of his chair from the excitement. “a date?!!” he jumped up and ran over to akaashi, hugging him from behind. “our little akaash is growing up so fast! your first date! tell us all about it–“ just as he was about to finish his sentence, oikawa was cut off by a giant yawn from akaashi.</p><p>iwaizumi laughed a bit. “tell us tomorrow.” he told him, and akaashi just nodded again in return. he was incapable of words at this point.</p><p>he was just so happy, it felt extremely foreign. it was completely different from when he felt happy with his friends, or when he was eating really, really good onigiri. this was so different and new, but it felt so good. it felt heartwarming, and wholesome.</p><p>he felt happy.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. five</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>overthinking and studying</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I AM SO SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING IN OVER A MONTH!! i lost all inspiration for this fic and started a new one but then lost inspiration for that one and gained back inspiration for this one.. so here’s a new chapter!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">a date. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">he and bokuto went on a date.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">bokuto took him on a date to a cat cafe. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">akaashi grabbed his pillow and screamed into it, breathing heavily. he was freaking out. he didn’t know what to think. yesterday, he was running on pure emotion and instinct. he wasn’t overthinking, he wasn’t thinking in general. he couldn’t think straight around bokuto. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">he had an aura around him that akaashi just immediately trusted. he felt comfortable and safe around him. but now that he was alone, he was left to drown in his thoughts. now that bokuto wasn’t here with him, he was overthinking. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">now, akaashi was sat in his bedroom, laying in bed, ten minutes before his alarm was supposed to go off. he couldn’t sleep at all last night. going on a date with bokuto gave him such a high, he was too excited to sleep. but now, he was anxious and nervous. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">he didn’t know how to do this. he’s never dated before, he’s never pleased someone in a romantic relationship. what if he wasn’t enough for bokuto? </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">bokuto was kind, and outgoing. he was popular. he had an insane amount of energy. he did well in social situations, he didn’t have anxiety that clouded his mind all the time, and on top of it all, he genuinely was happy. akaashi was the complete opposite. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">akaashi was anxious, and reserved. he often acted cold towards people he didn’t know. he didn’t function well in any social situation, and he was quiet. he had three friends, and spent more time on his schoolwork than everything else. he couldn’t come up with any reasons why bokuto would want to date him, why anyone would want to date him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">maybe bokuto said it was a date because he felt guilty. maybe he realized the outing seemed like a date, maybe he accidentally led him on, and was just saying it was a date to spare akaashi’s feelings. maybe–</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">beep. beep. beep. beep. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">akaashi reached his arm out of his blanket and slammed his phone, shutting the alarm off. he groaned, and slowly sat up, rubbing his eyes rather aggressively. he wasn’t in a good mood. he started the morning off overthinking and anxious. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">sliding out of bed, he trudged over to the closet and grabbed his uniform. he got dressed, and went through his usual morning routine with a tired scowl on his face. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">when iwaizumi and oikawa came up to the door to pick him up, they were slightly surprised, and also concerned. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“you look like shit.” oikawa stated bluntly, pulling akaashi out of the door and down the sidewalk. akaashi just rolled his eyes, while iwaizumi nudged him in the side. he was too tired for any verbal remarks today. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“is anything wrong?” iwaizumi asked, raising an eyebrow at akaashi. his hair was messy, more than usual, and he had obvious bags under his eyes. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“nothings wrong, i just couldn’t sleep last night, that’s all.” akaashi mumbled, shaking his head. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">oikawa narrowed his eyes at akaashi, pursing his lips. “up all night overthinking, perhaps?” he asked. akaashi furrowed his eyebrows. oikawa was too perceptive for his own good. either that, or he’s just easy to read. instead of answering, he just stayed silent, staring down at his shoes as they walked to school. “hmph, fine. be that way.” oikawa rolled his eyes at the silence, and stuck his tongue out at akaashi. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">iwaizumi sighed at his boyfriends immaturity and shook his head, deciding to stay quiet. but once they picked suga up, he wouldn’t stand for the tension. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">akaashi felt guilty, not telling his friends how he was feeling. he could tell he was upsetting them as well, but he didn’t know what else to do. they would just tell him he was overreacting, and overthinking. he couldn’t help it, overthinking was like a second nature to him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">as they walked to school in the awkward and slightly angry silence, akaashi was drowning in his thoughts. he wanted to burst, and not in the good way. the more time he had spent with bokuto, the harder he fell for him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">finally, suga cleared his throat, a small smile playing at his lips. “guys.. i have really exciting news!” he exclaimed, clasping his hands together. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3"><span class="s3">thank god, </span> <span class="s2">akaashi thought. this would be a good distraction from his thoughts. </span></p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“come on, out with it already!” oikawa nudged suga, who just giggled in response, shaking his head to tease his eager friend. oikawa groaned. “please, koushi!! you can’t wind me up just to let me down!” he shook his shoulders. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">suga burst out laughing. “okay okay okay! well... as you guys know, the other night, i went out with daichi.” he started, and oikawa gasped, and aggressively gestured for him to continue. akaashi could tell where this was going from the giddy look on sugawara’s face. and while of course he’s happy for his friend, he felt the pang of jealousy strike his heart. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“well, i confessed my feelings to him, and he did too! now we’re going out, and we have two dates planned already for this week.” suga giggled happily, bouncing on his feet once they reached the crosswalk. oikawa squealed dramatically and jumped onto his friend, despite their height difference. suga nearly choked as he caught oikawa, holding onto him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“ahh, koushi this is so exciting! isn’t this exciting?!” he hopped off of his friend and clutched onto iwaizumi’s arm once the light turned red and they started walking again. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">iwaizumi smiled and nodded. “congrats, suga.” suga hummed in response and turned to akaashi. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">he stayed silent, staring down at his shoes. it was silent again, as his three friends awaited for his response. suga cleared his throat. “akaash?” he asked, his voice gentle. akaashi felt tears prick at his eyes. “aren’t you happy for me?” suga asked. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">akaashi felt his throat tightening up as he tried to keep the tears from spilling. it wasn’t fair. suga was in a new relationship, he was all happy and shiny. and oikawa and iwaizumi were always happy and shiny, since they’ve been together for years. and here he was, alone, stuck with a one-sided crush. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“of course i’m happy for you, koushi but it’s just not fair!” akaashi snapped, raising his voice. the four of them stopped dead in their tracks. akaashi took a few steps ahead and turned around to face his friends. “you guys are all in relationships. oikawa and iwaizumi are dating each other, and suga now you’ve got a new boyfriend and i have nobody!” he yelled, his voice cracking at the last syllable. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">he couldn’t stop the tears from streaming down his face now. he couldn’t remember the last time he cried, either. he was always one to bundle up his emotions, and set up walls, blocking out any feelings that would distract him. but now the walls were cracking, and falling down. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“what about bokuto-san?” suga asked, reaching a hand out to rub up and down akaashi’s arm soothingly. akaashi just shook his head before he collapsed into his friends arms. suga wrapped his arms around him immediately and shushed him as akaashi let everything out. “keiji,” he raised an eyebrow, and ran a hand through his dark curls as he looked up at oikawa and iwaizumi, who looked just as equally confused as he was. “what happened on your date?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“it was perfect. but i- i cant help but think..” he trailed off as he broke into another stream of quiet sobs. akaashi felt pathetic, crying over a boy. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“never a good sign.” oikawa mumbled under his breath, earning a shove from iwaizumi. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">akaashi lifted his head up from suga’s chest to glare at him. suga gestured for him to continue, as he soothingly ran a hand up and down his back. he took a deep breath before he started speaking again. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“he’s just so.. kind, and nice, and gentle. he’s everything i’m not. there’s no way he likes me the way i like him.. and i have a feeling that he was lying when he said it was a date last night.. i think he only said it because i asked, and he didn’t want to make me feel bad.” akaashi explained, wiping his tears with the hem of his shirt. he looked up at suga, and was met with a remorseful expression from his friend. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“akaash.. oh, akaash.” suga sighed, squeezing his shoulder. “your anxiety gets the best of you too often, you know.” he poked his cheek playfully, trying to cheer him up. akaashi just furrowed his eyebrows, shaking his head. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“what if it’s true though? why would he like me? why would anyone ever like me?” he asked, his voice going quiet. he felt small, like a mouse. a pathetic, confused little mouse who had no idea where he was in the world. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“it’s not, akaashi!” oikawa raised his voice. akaashi, iwaizumi and suga all winced are the same time as they turned to oikawa, eyes wide. oikawa chewed on his bottom lip before he continued. “bokuto is like, head over heels for you! he told us! he told us the first time he saw you he liked you. i don’t care how much you overthink, it’s the truth!” he crossed his arms over his chest. “and you deserve this! so just.. let it happen! let bokuto brighten up your world!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">akaashi froze before his eyes teared up even more, and he started crying all over again. oikawa’s face fell and he quickly ran over to hug him tightly. “i’m sorry kaashi! i didn’t mean to make you cry i’m sorry!” he apologized. akaashi just shook his head. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“it’s not you..” he murmured, hugging him back. “i just feel really lucky to have you guys.” he sniffled, letting go of oikawa to rub his eyes and wipe his tears. suga broke into a big smile. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“we’ll always be with you, akaash.” he said gently, rubbing a hand up and down his arm. akaashi broke out into more tears. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">iwaizumi chuckled, running a hand through his hair. “i think we broke him.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">———</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">10 minutes. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">that’s fine, bokuto was a busy person. he was the ace of the volleyball team, and he was probably showering since practice just ended. akaashi could wait. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">fifteen minutes.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">akaashi was beginning to grow slightly impatient. it wasn’t even that he was late for their tutoring session, it was that he hadn’t seen him all day, not even during lunch. he missed him. he missed his loud laugh and his huge smile and those golden eyes. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">he groaned at his inner thought process. he sounded like a lovestruck girl. but it was just how he felt. every second he spent with bokuto, he felt happy, and free. like he could do anything. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">it’s okay, it’s only been fifteen minutes. maybe he got caught up in something. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">but then it was thirty minutes. their tutoring session would be over by now, and bokuto never showed up. he didn’t even get a text saying he couldn’t make it, and he got no heads up beforehand. he was left alone in the library. was it strange to say he was stood up? akaashi felt like he should be wearing a prom dress. this wasn’t even a date, it was just a tutoring session, mandated by his sensei. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">akaashi felt stupid, and that’s when the anxiety and overthinking kicked in. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">maybe bokuto really didn’t like him. maybe he really did say that it was a date to spare his feelings. everything his friends said to assure him was now erased from his brain. he sighed as he stood up and began packing up. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">he was almost done packing up, in the middle of shoving his binder into his bag when the library doors slammed open. “akaashi!” a loud voice boomed throughout the library. akaashi winced and looked up, his eyes widening. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">bokuto stood at the doors, hair disheveled and panting, golden eyes wide with panic. once the two of them locked eyes, he mentally and physically relaxed. he apologized to the librarian for being loud, and then walked over to akaashi. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“i’m so sorry i missed our session! i promise i didn’t forget, practice went on longer than i thought it would!” despite apologizing, he didn’t lower his voice. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">akaashi just bowed his head. “it’s okay, bokuto-san.” he kept his voice quiet, avoiding eye contact with the boy in front of him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“akaash? you’re not mad at me right? let me make it up to you! we can have our tutoring session right now!” bokuto declared, grabbing his backpack and pulling a book out. akaashi felt a small smile tugging at his lips, and he chewed the inside of his cheek to stop himself from the smile. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“the library is closing soon.” he told him, finally looking up at bokuto. he was taken aback by the strong eye contact. he probably would never get used to it. he felt his cheeks heating up. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“oh..” bokuto sighed, and broke the eye contact as he stared up at the ceiling, scratching his head, as if he were in deep thought. then, he brought a finger up, like a lightbulb appeared above his head. akaashi could almost picture it. “then we’ll go to my house!” he nodded quickly, like he was confirming the idea for himself. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">akaashi raised his eyebrows. his house? did bokuto trust him that much already to invite him to his own home? he felt his chest clench at the thought. “i wouldn’t want to intrude,” akaashi shook his head. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">bokuto’s eyes widened once again and he quickly grabbed akaashi’s shoulders. “i promise you’re not intruding! i want you to come over, i want to spend time with you!” he quickly nodded, locking their eyes together once more. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">akaashi felt his knees wobble, he wanted to just collapse into bokuto’s arms right there and then. but he contained himself, and took a deep breath. “i want to spend time with you too, bokuto-san.” he gave him a small smile, which made bokuto grin impossibly wide. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">there it was, the smile akaashi missed and loved so much. he felt his own smile growing bigger. bokuto beamed down at him and grabbed his hand. “great, then it’s settled! let’s go!” he exclaimed before tugging him out of the library, earning a small giggle from akaashi as he tried to keep up with bokuto’s long strides. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">walking through the halls, bokuto didn’t let go of akaashi’s hand once, and akaashi loved every second of it. the way their fingers intertwined perfectly together, how warm bokuto’s hands always were, and how bokuto would give his hand an occasional squeeze, as if to assure him that he wasn’t letting go. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">once they got to bokuto’s truck, that was when he let go. he opened the door for akaashi with a huge grin, and akaashi smiled in return, hopping into the passenger seat. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">once bokuto hopped into his own seat, heturned the truck on, and plugged his phone in, giving akaashi a small smile. “i made the playlist!” he told him, turning the bluetooth system on. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">akaashi raised an eyebrow. it hasn’t even been a full 24 hours since their date, and bokuto already had the playlist done? “really?” bokuto just nodded, and gestured for him to come over. akaashi slid a little closer across the seats, peering over at bokuto’s phone. it mostly consisted of american rock, but there were a few japanese songs he recognized. he felt himself smiling before he could stop it. “thank you, bokuto-san. no one’s ever done something like this for me before.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">bokuto’s eyes widened as he let out a small gasp. “well then i’m happy to be the first!” he beamed at akaashi before pressing shuffle on the playlist and began driving. akaashi tapped his fingers to the beat of the song as bokuto began to talk about his day. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">he could’ve been talking about the most boring thing ever, like the entire history of japan, which bored akaashi greatly, and he would be interested. bokuto made everything captivating, no matter what he was saying. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">bokuto paused while talking once they hit a red light, and quickly turned to akaashi. “ooh oh this is the best part!” he bounced in his seat excitedly before bringing his hands up to his chest to mimic an air guitar as he badly, and off-key sang the guitar solo, head banging dramatically to the beat. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">akaashi burst out laughing, he didn’t even think about covering his mouth this time. he just laughed and smiled with no hesitation, because he felt that comfortable around bokuto. bokuto noticed this immediately and the smile on his face was indescribable. it was a mix of adoration and pride, and his golden eyes were full of passion and love. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“i love it when you laugh.” bokuto told him, still smiling at him with the most obvious love eyes. akaashi smiled and looked down at himself, a pink blush creeping up upon his cheeks. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“i.. like it when you make me laugh.” akaashi replied shyly, repeating what he said on their date and tucking a piece of hair behind his ear. it was less than what bokuto said, but somehow managed to exceed the impact. the grin on his face was indescribable, impossibly wide and just so.. bokuto. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“well then i’ll make sure you’re laughing all the time then!” bokuto hummed happily. the rest of the car ride was full of singing off key, laughing and huge smiles. akaashi couldn’t ask for anything more. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">———</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“okayyy, done!” bokuto slammed the sheet down on the bed in front of akaashi. the two were sat on the bed facing each other, working on kanji worksheets. akaashi raised his eyebrows before taking the sheet, reading it over. he just nodded his head before putting the paper down and looking up at bokuto. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“i don’t understand..” he started. bokuto tilted his head, looking at him confused and to continue. “you’re smart, bokuto-san. you got everything right. so why are you failing?” akaashi furrowed his eyebrows when bokuto looked away from him, refusing to look up. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">huh. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">that was the first time bokuto has ever avoided eye contact with akaashi. and akaashi didn’t like it at all. when bokuto opened his mouth to talk but then shut it immediately, eyes closing as he hung his head down, akaashi’s chest was full with worry. he bit the inside of his cheek for a second before crawling across the bed and sitting himself in front of bokuto. he reached out and grabbed his hand. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“bokuto-san.” akaashi prompted, his voice gentle, low and soft. comforting. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">bokuto chewed on the bottom of his lip before finally looking up at akaashi. this time, it was bokuto who was taken aback by the sudden eye contact. “i just.. i’m not very smart.” he said, his voice quiet. it was probably the first time akaashi has ever heard him so quiet. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">bokuto looked embarrassed, ashamed of himself. akaashi squeezed his hand and urged him to continue. “sometimes i feel so.. dumb. so i just don’t try.” he shrugged, looking down again, breaking the eye contact. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">akaashi sighed and started to softly trace circles into bokuto’s skin. “you are not dumb.” he said in a stern yet gentle voice, but it was enough for bokuto to shoot his gaze up to meet akaashi’s. “you are not dumb, bokuto-san.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">bokuto couldn’t help the tears welling up at the corner of his eyes as his gaze flickered down from akaashi’s eyes to his lips for just a second, before he slowly leaned closer. akaashi’s breath hitched, but he showed no hesitation as he leaned in as well, until their lips met. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">it felt like fireworks were going off all around as akaashi felt bokuto’s lips on his. despite the fact that he’s never kissed anyone before, this felt beyond perfect to him. it felt like his lips were made just to kiss bokuto. it just felt right.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">once they finally both pulled away from each other, bokuto just smiled widely, which made akaashi grow a small smile as well. he looked down for a few seconds before looking up at bokuto, who was staring at him so intensely, with the same look of admiration he always had when he looked at akaashi. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“can i kiss you again?” bokuto asked, tangling his fingers with akaashi’s, and reaching out to cup his cheek, brushing a strand of hair out of his face. akaashi nodded. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“you can kiss me whenever you want, bokuto-san.” he answered, which only made bokuto grin impossibly wide. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“i don’t think you have any idea what you just signed up for, ‘kaashi.” he murmured before kissing akaashi again. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">akaashi sighed happily when their lips touched again. it didn’t matter if he stayed with bokuto for the rest of his life and grew old with him, he would never get tired of kissing him. he kissed him back, tilting his head up to deepen the kiss just slightly, but it made a huge difference. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">bokuto slid his hand down from akaashi’s cheek to his neck, to his shoulder to his arm, to his waist, and then kept it there, pulling him closer, before darting his tongue into his mouth. thankfully, akaashi’s gasp was muffled by bokuto’s lips. this was new. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">this was nice. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">bokuto noticed akaashi stopped kissing him back and he pulled away, worry clear in his eyes. “i’m sorry, was that too soon?” he asked, his eyes wide. akaashi’s smile grew and he shook his head, trying to contain the rosy pink blush sporting his cheeks. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“no.. i just,” akaashi looked to the side and sighed, “don’t know how to kiss with tongue.” he admitted, slowly flickering his eyes back at bokuto, who didn’t look worried at all. in fact, he was smiling. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“then i’ll show you.” he murmured, his voice practically dropping an octave as he spoke. he crawled onto his hands and knees until his lips were just a couple of inches away from akaashi’s. he could see akaashi tense up from that, and he chuckled. “relax for me, kaashi, okay?” he raised an eyebrow before sitting on his knees, bringing a hand to akaashi’s chin, tipping up his jaw to kiss him again. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">he didn’t wait more than three seconds before he moved his thumb up from akaashi’s chin to his bottom lip, pressing down on it to open his mouth up. akaashi felt like melting right there on the spot. the feeling of bokuto’s tongue inside his mouth, against his own tongue, it felt invasive and new in all the right ways. it was wet, and sensual, feeling his tongue explore his mouth. it was gentle and sweet, and bokuto was doing everything right. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">then, he pulled away. “like that.” his smile grew bigger when he saw akaashi, who was breathless, staring at bokuto, looking almost wrecked from just a kiss. he chuckled and leaned down to kiss his cheek, and then hovered above his ear. “do you think you could try that on me?” he asked in barely a whisper. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">akaashi gasped at the hot breath against his ear and then turned to face bokuto. he sat up on his knees to level with bokuto, and then pressed his lips against his, opening his mouth instantly. bokuto opened his as well, and at the same time their tongues swept past each other’s lips. akaashi mimicked bokuto’s movements from the last kiss as best as he could, swirling his tongue inside of his mouth and exploring everything he could feel. the nerves from before were gone, and the only reason he could think of as to why would be because he just felt safe. they kept going for a few more seconds until they both needed to catch their breath. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">this time when they both pulled away, a string of saliva connected their lips together. akaashi pulled his head back to break it, and bokuto burst out laughing, which made akaashi giggle a bit. “..how was it?” he asked quietly, locking his eyes with bokuto once more. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">bokuto just nodded his head furiously. “amazing. i’m beginning to believe that wasn’t your first time.” he chuckled, and just smiled at akaashi with such adoration in his eyes, it made akaashi feel incredibly warm. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“i just have a good teacher.” akaashi smiled and leaned over again to kiss him, pecking him gently on the lips before sitting back down, crossing his legs and grabbing more kanji worksheets. “alright, let’s get back to work.” he said. it was easy to hear the smile in his voice. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. six</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>the bathroom is not the best place to kiss</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hehe this chapter starts off with a little bit of spice, just a warning!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">yesterday was a whole new side of bokuto that akaashi never thought he would see. making out lessons? tongue kissing? if someone had told him he’d be tongue kissing bokuto a week ago, he would’ve laughed. or, more realistically, freaked out and panicked. but kissing bokuto felt oddly warm and safe. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">now, he couldn’t stop thinking of bokuto. not that that was anything out of the usual, but he couldn’t stop thinking of bokuto kissing him. with tongue. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">his hands on his waist and his cheek and his tongue in his mouth and—</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">oh. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">looking down, he saw that he was hard. when the hell was the last time that he got a boner? when he was thirteen? </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">but it was already here, and the fact that he couldn’t stop thinking about bokuto didn’t help. so... </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">he slips a hand down the waistband of his boxers and wrapped around his length, his mouth going dry at just the sight of what he was doing. he didn’t usually touch himself, either he was too busy or he never really thought of doing it in general. just another thing to add to his list of inexperiences. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">maybe bokuto could teach him how to do this too. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">what. the. hell. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">what is going through his mind that he thought of that? it was too late now, though. he was imagining it was bokuto’s hand wrapped around and pumping his cock instead of his own. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">just that thought alone pulled a whimper out of his mouth, and he shut his eyes tight as he continued stroking himself. then, he gently ran his thumb over his head and moaned. all he could think about was bokuto jerking him off, whispering sweet little nothings in his ear as he did so. he remembered what his hot breath felt against his ear, what his tongue felt like against his own. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">he gasped as his hand started to lose control of his rhythm, and he could feel his orgasm pooling in his stomach. just a few more pumps, a few more strokes, he can practically see white as his lips part open, he imagines bokuto taking his lips captive. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“a–agh,” another moan escaped his lips before he opened his eyes to look at the sight in front of him, his own length dripping wet. he swiped his thumb over his head again, a bead of pre-cum dripping out onto his thumb. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">his orgasm was building, he could feel everything around him getting hotter, and then just as he was about to come, </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">RING RING</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">RING RING</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">his eyes shot over to his bedside table where his phone was ringing and buzzing. he leaned over and saw who was calling. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">oikawa. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">he groaned and let go of his cock, grabbing a few tissues and cleaning himself up. he wasn’t even hard anymore, seeing his best friend calling officially turned him off. as his phone kept ringing, once he was cleaned off he answered. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“what do you want?” he asked, sort of out of breath from his.. activities. oikawa laughed through the phone. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“well good morning to you too, kaashi-kun! you know, you really shouldn’t be so mean to me, especially after what i just found out.” akaashi could hear oikawa’s smile through the phone. it was his ‘i have something against you but i’m not going to tell you what it is and make you guess’ smile. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“what is it?” akaashi rolled his eyes, slipping a new pair of boxers on. he figured he could just get dressed for the day. he had no plans on going out, today was going to be a do-nothing-at-all day. it was saturday, after all. saturday for him was like the day of rest. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“oh nothing..” oikawa shrugged. “just the fact that you had your first kiss and didn’t bother to tell your best friend. oh! or the fact that your first kiss led into your first make-out session and you didn’t tell your best friend.” it was easy to hear the venom leaking into his smile. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">akaashi sighed into the phone and sat against his headboard. “it just happened yesterday and i’m still processing it, okay?” he explained, running holding his phone with his ear and shoulder while he walked into the bathroom to wash his hands. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">oikawa could hear the anxiety seeping into akaashi’s voice, and decided he did enough teasing for today. “akaashi, you know i was just teasing~!” he giggled before smiling genuinely. “i’m happy for you.” he said. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">akaashi relaxed. “thank you.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“of course, kaashi-kun. now open your front door, i’m standing outside and i want details!” oikawa demanded, and then began knocking on the door. akaashi’s eyes widened and he shot out of bed, running downstairs. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“are you crazy?! my parents are home!” he whisper-yelled through the phone as he ran down the stairs, going to the front door and opening it to see oikawa with a smug smile on his face. he hung up his phone and glared at him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“well then you better get me upstairs and tell me all the spicy details!” oikawa burst out laughing as he toed off his shoes and grabbed akaashi’s hands, tugging him upstairs. akaashi rolled his eyes when oikawa pushed into his room and sat down on his bed like it was his own. he sat across from him and crossed his legs, staring at oikawa in front of him. “go on, tell me everything!” he clasped his hands together but then gasped. “wait! let me call suga, he’ll want to hear this—“ </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">how did oikawa even find out? it was not even twenty-four hours ago. “how do you know?” akaashi squinted his eyes at him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">oikawa snorted. “bokuto-san was so excited, he called iwa-chan and told him all about it.” he snickered. akaashi blushed and looked down. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“all.. all about it?” his voice squeaked. learning bokuto liked to run his mouth a little bit on top of what he did this morning was a little mortifying. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“how he taught you how to kiss.” oikawa winked. “and how you did it really well.” he burst out giggling again, and nudged him with his shoulder. “i’m so surprised! i— how come you’re not happy?” oikawa gasped as his eyes widened. “is bokuto-san a bad kisser?” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">akaashi rolled his eyes and shook his head. “no.. he’s great. it’s me, tooru. i’m the bad kisser. i mean, he had to teach me how to kiss. that’s just.. so embarrassing.” he sighed, staring down at his hands in his lap as he fidgeted with his fingers. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">oikawa shook his head. “you’re wrong, akaash! bokuto was telling us how much he loved kissing you!” he told him, and reached out to grab his shoulders and shake them dramatically. “and that he really, really wants to kiss you again.” he winked at him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">akaashi’s face went red and he slapped oikawa’s hands away playfully, but the smile on his face couldn’t be hidden. oikawa squealed at that, and hugged him tightly. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“you’re smiling so much more now, kaashi-kun!” he giggled, letting go of him to smile right back. akaashi furrowed his eyebrows and oikawa just rolled his eyes. “that’s a </span>
  <span class="s3">good thing,</span>
  <span class="s2"> kaashi.” he reassured the anxious boy in front of him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">it was true, though. akaashi was smiling much more often than he ever did before, and it was because of bokuto. there was no other reason other than the spiky-haired rambunctious boy who stole his heart. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">———</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">monday couldn’t have come sooner. akaashi usually cherished his weekends, enjoying the free time he had away form school, but he found himself itching to go all of the sudden. and he could only think of one reason why: </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">he wanted to see bokuto. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">which was dumb, really, considering the fact that their tutoring sessions were on tuesday’s and fridays. he didn’t see bokuto on monday at all, except for when he would occasionally drop by his table during lunch to say hi to iwaizumi. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">he wanted to see him so badly it hurt. he wanted to see his big, stupid smile and hold his stupidly big hands and kiss his stupid soft lips—</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">no. NO. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">no thinking of kissing today. he can’t repeat what he did on saturday again, it was mortifying and he didn’t even get to finish. he squeezed his eyes shut as he tried to forget the memory of what he did as he was now sat in math class, with oikawa sitting across from him, looking at him suspiciously. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“you’re overthinking.” he stated through a whisper. damn oikawa and his perceptiveness. akaashi just shook his head. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“i’m solving algebraic equations, tooru. of course i’m overthinking.” he whispered back, rolling his eyes as he continued staring down at his worksheet. he was not solving algebraic equations, he was indeed overthinking, as usual. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">oikawa couldn’t help the small snort that escaped from him. “you’re overthinking about bokuto-san. i can tell because you’re blushi—“ he was cut off by a harsh ‘shhhhh’ from their teacher at the front of the classroom. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">akaashi took a deep breath before turning back to oikawa. “the last time i was in trouble for talking during class, i was forced to tutor someone.” he whispered rather harshly. although, that situation did turn out pretty well. it brought him bokuto. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“uh, yeah. someone who you just made out with a few days ago. tell me what’s wrong with that?” oikawa chuckled quietly when akaashi’s cheeks went red at his words. akaashi just sucked in a deep breath and shook his head. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“ignoring you now.” he mumbled as he picked up his pen and started doing the schoolwork, distracting his mind from the thoughts about bokuto, and his nosy friend sitting next to him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">oikawa finally gave up when he was no longer paid any attention to and sighed before doing his work. for the next ten minutes, akaashi focused on nothing else but what x equals. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">when the bell finally rang, he snapped out of his trance of mathematics. he looked over to see oikawa packing up and started to do the same. it was lunch now, the only time he would be able to see bokuto, if he even showed up to their table at all. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">he did. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">about fifteen minutes into lunch, akaashi, suga oikawa and iwaizumi were all sat at their usual table with their lunches, when bokuto decided to stop by. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“bo! what’s up?” iwaizumi grinned widely as bokuto sat down next to him. they talked for a few minutes, and akaashi stayed quiet, slowly eating the onigiri in front of him as he stared at bokuto from across the table. when bokuto and iwaizumi finished talking, bokuto turned his gaze right to akaashi, causing him to sit up straight. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">curse his eyes for going straight to bokuto’s lips first. how dare they. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">now all he could think about was kissing bokuto again. and bokuto seemed to catch on, because he leaned close over the table. “can you come to the bathroom with me?” he asked, his voice low. akaashi’s eyes widened, because he wasn’t dumb, he knew what they would do once they got to the bathroom. he quickly nodded his head and put his onigiri down, standing up as bokuto did. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“you got him to put down the onigiri? where are you two going?” suga raised an eyebrow, laughing a bit as he flickered his eyes from the abandoned rice ball to bokuto and akaashi walking over to each other. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“we’re just gonna talk in private, away from everybody.” akaashi told him before bokuto nodded, smiling at suga. suga nodded his head before his eyebrows raised. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“ah,” his lips curled up into a smirk. “have fun.” he waggled his eyebrows as he shoved a forkful of noodles into his mouth. akaashi’s face fell and he glared at suga before tugging on bokuto’s sleeve to get out of the cafeteria. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">bokuto took the cue and began walking, once they were out of the cafeteria he took akaashi’s hand and pulled him into the bathroom. “i missed you,” he mumbled as he wrapped his arms around akaashi’s waist, bringing him close, their chests touching. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">akaashi blushed and looked down to avoid eye contact, but bokuto moved one hand up to hold his jaw, tipping his chin up to look at him. akaashi’s eyes widened before they were both smashing their lips against each other’s. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">there was no hesitation as both of them opened their mouths, and now that akaashi actually knew how to kiss, he could think about how it was making him feel, instead of thinking about how to do it right. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">he felt so good. he felt hot and warm, and safe and.. aroused. this was not the best situation, with them being at school and all, but he couldn’t help himself as he snaked his arms around bokuto’s neck, deepening the kiss, smiling against his lips. “it’s only been since friday,” he whispered. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">that only made bokuto hold him tighter, squeezing his waist slightly. “too long,” he said in almost a growl, kissing him again, backing them up until akaashi’s back hit the wall, a gasp escaping his lips. bokuto pecked his lips once more before pulling away, a small smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. “you’re getting really good at that, you know.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">akaashi’s smile grew bigger as he leaned his head back to get a full view of the boy in front of him. bokuto always stared at him so intensely, he wanted to melt under his gaze and into his arms. “i have you to thank.” he murmured, before his lips were captured again. he moved a hand up from his neck to run through bokuto’s hair, tugging on it a bit. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">bokuto all but growled from that, kissing akaashi much more intensely than before, as if tugging his hair was enough for him to just go feral. they pulled away from each other and the look bokuto had in his eyes made akaashi’s knees wobble slightly. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“boku—“</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“do that again.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">akaashi’s eyes widened but he just reached for bokuto’s hair again, tugging on the ends. an actual </span>
  <span class="s3">moan </span>
  <span class="s2">escaped bokuto’s lips and he kissed akaashi again quickly, trailing his hands down from his waist to squeeze his hips, earning a gasp from akaashi, and a big smile from bokuto in return. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">then, the bathroom door opened. a small, redhead first year walked in, freezing when he sees bokuto pressing akaashi against the wall. his eyes widened but he didn’t move. “it’s always the bathroom..” he mumbled to himself. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">akaashi just stared at him stupidly and flicked his eyes back and forth from the first year to bokuto, who looked like he was on the verge of laughter. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">laughter?! how was this funny? he wanted to melt for all the wrong reasons this time, and become nonexistent. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“hinata!” bokuto exclaimed, letting go of akaashi, but still grabbing onto his hand as he began to walk over to the first year. he smiled wide, and the first year— hinata, smiled back, rather nervously. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“..bokuto-senpai, i’m sorry sorry!! i’ll leave now.” he said, nearly shouting as he dashed out of the bathroom. this time it was akaashi’s turn to laugh, and bokuto turned to him, an eyebrow raised. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“what?” he asked, smiling at the way akaashi’s body relaxed once hinata was gone. akaashi just shook his head and laughed some more, letting his head fall against bokuto’s shoulder. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“you— he called you.. did you tell him to call you senpai?” akaashi asked between giggles and bokuto’s face went red. he shoved akaashi playfully, rolling his eyes. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“i just like the way it sounds!” he defended, which made akaashi burst into more giggles and laughter. and while it was kind of embarrassing, if akaashi was smiling and laughing, bokuto was happy. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">———</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">after lunch, akaashi didn’t see bokuto for the rest of the day, but that was okay. as sad as it was that he couldn’t see bokuto, he still needed to focus on his studies, and the fact that he couldn’t think about anything but bokuto was a problem. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">what was more of a problem, though, was his two meddling best friends who were pressing him for details every second they could get. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“didn’t bokuto-san already tell you everything?” akaashi raised an eyebrow when suga asked what the kiss felt like. suga simply scoffed in reply, shaking his head. the two were sat in suga’s bedroom, textbooks open in front of them on the bed. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“one, i heard it from tooru. second, i need your point of view! tell me now. how did you feel?” suga’s eyes widened with excitement. akaashi sighed and closed his book. there would be no studying getting done today. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“it was.. weird.” akaashi told him as he kicked his feet up to hug his knees. when suga gave him a strange look, akaashi took a deep breath and continued. “it was a completely new experience.. not a bad one, though. a really, really good one, actually.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">suga burst out laughing at how breathless akaashi seemed just from talking about the kiss. “so.. have you two done anything... else?” he waggled his eyebrows. “like in the bathroom today during lunch, perhaps?” he winked suggestively. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">akaashi’s mouth gaped open at him and he hit him playfully. “no! we just.. wanted to be alone together. we did nothing but kiss. then a first year walked in on us.” he explained, smiling a bit at the memory of how scared the boy looked, and ‘bokuto-senpai.’</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“oh god.” suga laughed some more, shaking his head. “tell me more!” he pressed on. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">akaashi hugged himself tighter. he was still processing all the information for himself, he wasn’t exactly ready to gush and gossip about the kiss. he was still trying to not be overwhelmed by it. so, instead, he changed the subject to something suga loved talking about. “what about you and daichi-san? have you two.. done anything yet?” he asked. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">suga didn’t mind changing the subject at all, knowing akaashi was probably anxious, plus he loved talking about daichi any second he could get. “oh yes!” he grinned widely. “he acts like such a tough brute, but he’s just a big softie.” he sighed happily, leaning back against his palms. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">akaashi smiled at his friend as he went on about his crush. it made him happy to see that he was happy, especially since suga has had a crush on daichi since his first year. the entire time he was gushing on about daichi, he was smiling. it made akaashi think of himself, how because of bokuto, he was smiling regularly now. it was crazy, how only a couple of weeks of knowing bokuto had changed his life completely. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">about fifteen minutes later, suga had gone into a rant about daichi’s thighs, and how thick they were. akaashi half-tuned him out, until his rant was interrupted by his phone ringing. suga grabbed the phone and looked at who was calling before handing it to akaashi. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“this is for you,” suga winked as he picked up his textbook again, placing it down on his lap as he began to read. akaashi raised an eyebrow and took the phone, an immediate smile appearing at his lips when he saw who was calling. he swiped his phone open and put it to his ear. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“hello, bokuto-san.” the smile just kept growing impossibly bigger, and he couldn’t stop it. he could, however, roll his eyes when suga started making kissing noises and some.. inappropriate gestures with his hands. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">while bokuto spoke his ear off about the rest of his day after lunch, akaashi just listened intently. he loved listening to him talk, no matter what the subject was. he loved hearing his voice, and when the subject moved to volleyball, he could literally hear the passion in his voice. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">bokuto was the type of person to get excited about the smallest things. it was so different from akaashi, and it was refreshing. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">bokuto felt like a breath of fresh air. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>sorry this chapter was kinda short, i just had no clue where to go with it :/</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. seven</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>tossing, crying, and hugging oh my!</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>AHHH IM SORRY FOR NOT POSTING FOR A MONTH AGAIN!! i started in person school, and i was a bit busy, plus i lost some inspiration but most of the chapter was done! here’s a 3k word chapter to make up for it i will be trying to post normally again i promise!!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>akaashi tossed the ball into the air and tried to set it, the ball floating a bit too high for him. he sighed and dropped his arms, looking down. </p><p>“i don’t think volleyball is for me, bokuto-san.” he mumbled. unsure of what to do with his hands, he began fidgeting with his fingers, and cracking his knuckles. he really needed to break that habit. </p><p>bokuto shook his head quickly and ran to retrieve the ball. “aw, come on, akaash! that was only your.. fifth try! setting isn’t easy, don’t worry!” he handed the ball back to akaashi and got back in position. “okay.. ready?” </p><p>“i guess,” akaashi shrugged and grabbed the ball, tossing it up in the air, and then reached up to set it to bokuto, shaping his hands into a triangle. just in those few seconds where his fingers touched the ball and projected it over to the boy next to him, it felt exhilarating. </p><p>it felt amazing. controlling the ball and sending it exactly where he wanted it made him feel.. strangely good. is this what playing a sport felt like? was it usually that rewarding? </p><p>his eyes widened as bokuto jumped up and spiked it down with ease. he watched the ball bounce off of the ground on the other side of the net, and then turned to bokuto, who looked just as shocked. </p><p>“akaash, that was like.. the most perfect set ever!” bokuto exclaimed, grabbing the ball again and making his way back to akaashi. akaashi blushed and looked down, his fingers immediately finding each other to fidget. bokuto noticed this, and put the ball under one of his arms to put a hand on his shoulder. “i’m serious. it was perfect!”</p><p>akaashi looked up at him, raising an eyebrow. it was only his sixth try. it couldn’t have been perfect. “really?” </p><p>but then again, it felt perfect to him. the contact of the ball to his fingers, the way it shot right over to bokuto, flying through the air at the perfect angle. and of course, watching bokuto slam the ball down was satisfying as ever. </p><p>“really! you should come to one of the teams practices! i’m sure if they saw you set like that they’d put you on the team!” bokuto started rambling, getting more excited by the second. when he saw akaashi’s reaction to that, he lowered his voice. “i mean, that is.. if you want to. i think you’d be great for it.” </p><p>akaashi looked down. “it was probably just a fluke, bokuto-san.” he didn’t want to get bokuto’s hopes up. akaashi wasn’t good at sports. he wasn’t good at anything. he was smart, that was it. he had no special talents. </p><p>“well there’s only one way to find out!” bokuto grinned widely at him and handed him the ball, pressing it to his chest. akaashi sighed before taking the ball, gesturing for bokuto to go back to his position. </p><p>the set was perfect again. and again, and again. </p><p>he was truly astounded at himself. was this his secret calling? was he supposed to be some volleyball god? he always considered himself mediocre at best, but giving these perfect tosses made him feel.. more than inadequate. it made him feel good. </p><p>“okay, that’s it, you need to try out!” bokuto laughed a bit, running a hand through his hair. the gel had been taken over by sweat, and his hair was down, sticking to his forehead in the most adorable and somewhat sexy way ever. </p><p>akaashi smiled to himself. he’s never been part of a team, let alone taken interest in playing a sport, but this made him feel good. maybe trying out wouldn’t be the worst thing. he knew the team had an opening right now after iwaizumi broke his leg, and according to bokuto the teams setter was unhappy, and would be traded out in a heartbeat. </p><p>but he was inexperienced. he knew his school was considered a powerhouse for volleyball, and this was his first time setting, ever. surely there was someone with years of experience on their belt who wanted the spot. </p><p>“i don’t know, bokuto-san.” akaashi shook his head, picking the ball up from the ground. bokuto’s face fell, along with his shoulders as he dropped down at akaashi’s words. </p><p>“why not?! your sets are the best! i’ve hit every single one of them!” bokuto furrowed his eyebrows. he watched as akaashi played with the ball in his hands. he could tell he was overthinking. </p><p>“i have no experience prior to today.. don’t you need someone more skilled?” akaashi raised an eyebrow. bokuto’s face of concern washed over into a gentle, and reassuring smile. </p><p>“we don’t pick our players based on experience, we pick based on skill. and akaashi, your sets are amazing!” he placed his hands firmly on his shoulders and looked him in the eyes. akaashi’s eyes widened a bit when he heard the absolute truth. he didn’t catch any lies. bokuto was always one hundred percent honest with him. </p><p>then, his brain short-circuited when he felt bokuto’s lips pressed against his. </p><p>ah. </p><p>he would never get sick of that. akaashi smiled against bokuto’s lips and pulled away, leaning his forehead against bokuto’s. he felt bokuto’s arms as they snaked around his waist, pulling him closer. that only made him smile bigger. </p><p>“okay. i’ll try out.” </p><p>just those four words were enough for bokuto. he yelped out a happy “yes! yay!” and picked up akaashi with ease, spinning him around. akaashi’s eyes widened and he quickly wrapped his arms around bokuto’s neck, holding onto him tight. </p><p>“bokuto-sa– agh!”</p><p>and then, like that, they were on the ground, laughing and all smiles, akaashi smushed by bokuto laying on top of him. but he couldn’t ask for anything different. </p><p>———</p><p>akaashi was sat at the dinner table with his parents. it was one of the nights where neither suga, iwaizumi or oikawa could have him over for dinner. so, he was stuck at home, listening to his parents go on and on about his grades, even though they were perfect, they weren’t good enough. </p><p>nothing was ever good enough. </p><p>and he couldn’t say anything. he couldn’t talk back, he couldn’t chime in, he just had to take everything his parents gave him. the berating, the “we expected better from you, keiji,” and “you’re not living up to your expectations, keiji,” and “you’re such a disappointment, keiji.” </p><p>he wanted to rip his hair out. currently, his father and mother were talking about how tutoring bokuto was a distraction. it was all talk, and akaashi couldn’t care less. they could complain all they want, because they didn’t know about bokuto. </p><p>they didn’t know how his grades were starting to look better, not only in his literature class but also his other classes. akaashi was helping him. they didn’t know how close they were getting, how much time they spent together during and outside of tutoring sessions, how much better at kissing akaashi has gotten—</p><p>“i’m going to call his teacher. it isn’t fair that he’s forced to tutor this boy. he’s a distraction to what’s important.” </p><p>those words struck akaashi out of his thoughts, his eyes widening as he nearly choked on his rice. he quickly swallowed and shook his head. “mother, i don’t want you to do that.” </p><p>he had spoken before he could stop himself. both of his parents turned their heads so fast and so sharply their necks could’ve cracked. akaashi swore he almost heard a crack. </p><p>“who said you could speak? this isn’t up to you, keiji.” his father narrowed his eyes at his son, sitting up straighter. akaashi lowered his head, apologizing silently.</p><p>but then he spoke up again. “dad,” he started. his fathers eyes snapped forward at him, anger reflecting clear. “i want to continue tutoring bokuto-san. i’m helping him, he’s getting better.” he explained. he spoke slowly and clearly, making sure his parents didn’t miss a single word. then, without thinking, he added, “and i like spending time with him.” </p><p>akaashi’s mother scoffed. “this is your problem, keiji. you don’t know what’s good for you. spending time with this boy isn’t good for you, and it’s clearly showing in your grades.” she said calmly, but each of her words felt like daggers to his heart, poking and poking until they stabbed through. he stood up abruptly. </p><p>“my grades are the best in the school! they’re all A’s, but you don’t see that! nothing will ever be good enough and it’s exhausting!” akaashi raised his voice, his tone wavering as he tried to blink away the tears pooling up at the brim of his eyes. </p><p>both of his parents looked astounded. akaashi has never talked back, nonetheless yelled at them. there was a first for everything, though. </p><p>“you will apologize to your mother right now.” his father glared at akaashi, and he did consider apologizing and submitting to them, but what good would that do? he just shook his head, keeping his eyes on the floor. </p><p>“then get out right now. don’t come back until you’ve calmed down and realized what you’ve done is wrong, and disrespectful.” his father pointed to the door, his steady breaths becoming more and more unsteady by the second. akaashi knew what was next if he didn’t leave right now. he would raise his arm, and akaashi didn’t want to relive that. </p><p>so, he quickly stormed out of the kitchen, grabbing his bag from the front and opened the door, glancing once more at his parents, who were staring at him with wide, angry eyes, before slamming the door behind him. the impact hit him. </p><p>the door behind him, the cold of the outside air hitting his face and making him shiver, the fact he’s just walked out on dinner with his parents. he felt a twinge of guilt, but mostly, he felt oddly liberated. </p><p>but where did he go now? without thinking, he made his way across the street to iwaizumi’s house. he knew he was probably busy, because why else would he not be able to have him over for dinner? but he had nowhere else to go. </p><p>he knocked on the door, not letting the tears the standing to fall, fall. but he knew the second iwaizumi opened the door, he would break. </p><p>and of course, that’s what happened. except, it was oikawa who opened the door. “akaash?” he raised an eyebrow. “are you oka–“ akaashi ambushed him, hugging him so fast and so tightly that he almost fell over. </p><p>“what’s wrong?” oikawa asked as akaashi burst into tears, hiding his face in oikawa’s chest, not letting go. oikawa rubbed his back soothingly, not complaining as tears stained his shirt. akaashi let out a weak mumble, “my parents.” immediately, oikawa’s empathic smile fell into a frown. he let go of akaashi and ushered him inside, where iwaizumi was sat at the kitchen table with his mom. </p><p>iwaizumi’s mom asked the same thing when she saw the look on akaashi’s face. he let her hug him, and he just took a deep breath, inhaling her scent. iwaizumi’s house felt more like a home to him than his own, and he was so glad he had the iwaizumi family to fall back to when he needed it. </p><p>after another ten minutes of sobbing in iwaizumi’s mothers arms, he calmed down and sat at the couch, in between iwaizumi and oikawa. he was explaining everything that happened at dinner with his parents, what they said to him, what they said about bokuto. </p><p>iwaizumi looked mostly angry throughout the explanation, and oikawa was on the verge of tears as akaashi spoke. but there was nothing he could do about it. he’d spend the night at iwaizumi’s, and avoid his parents as much as he could, but he’d have to face his parents eventually. he’d have to apologize, even if he didn’t want to, and ultimately, let his parents make him stop tutoring bokuto. </p><p>he wondered if bokuto would still be with him. it’s not like they were.. anything. were they together? they never officially said anything, they just kissed. a lot. </p><p>“akaash?” oikawa raised an eyebrow. “what’re you thinking about?” he asked, his voice gentle and soft, not at all teasing as it usually was when he caught akaashi overthinking. </p><p>“how.. did you and iwaizumi know you were together? as a couple?” he asked suddenly. iwaizumi smiled at the question. </p><p>“you don’t remember? suga hounding us to make it official?” he laughed, shaking his head. akaashi smiled at the memory but shook his head. </p><p>“obviously i remember that.. i mean, when did you two—“ akaashi gestured with his hands, having trouble finding the words. “know?” </p><p>oikawa pitched in, grinning widely. “well after i kissed him, we were pretty much already dating without saying anything. but that’s because we were already pretty much together, we liked each other for years.” he gushed, and it all made iwaizumi smile and blush, watching his boyfriend go on and on about their relationship. “why? do you want to be bokuto’s boyfriend?” he teased, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. </p><p>he wasn’t expecting the “yes,” to escape so honestly from akaashi’s lips. his eyes widened and he tackled him in a hug, causing akaashi to nearly choke. “jeez—“</p><p>“ask him! just ask, kaashi! you know he’ll say yes!” oikawa giggled, letting go of akaashi, sitting back down on the couch. iwaizumi wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him closer. akaashi smiled at the two of them. </p><p>“i want to. but my parents..” he trailed off, his eyes easily becoming glassy and geary again. oikawa gasped and shook his head, reaching over to put a hand on akaashi’s arm. </p><p>“don’t let them make you upset. they don’t deserve it.” iwaizumi spoke up before oikawa could. oikawa glared at him for just a second for interrupting but nodded. </p><p>akaashi didn’t reply, he just sunk into the couch cushions. what was he going to do? his parents basically just kicked him out, and the only way they’d let him back in was if he apologized, and let them take control over him tutoring bokuto. </p><p>as if she knew what he were thinking, iwaizumi’s mother came into the living room with a bowl of steaming hot udon, and some hot tea. “you’ll stay here tonight and we’ll go from there, alright?” she smiled. akaashi couldn’t help but tear up all over again. </p><p>he was so lucky to have his friends. </p><p>———</p><p>the next day at school, bokuto could tell something was up with akaashi the second he walked into the library. one, because he was five minutes late to the tutoring session, and when he did get there his eyes were still red and puffy from sobbing the night before. it didn’t help that akaashi had been anxious all day.</p><p>“kaashi?” bokuto’s voice was soft, and gentle. he stood up when akaashi got to the table and didn’t hesitate before taking him into his arms, hugging and holding him tightly. “akaash? are you okay?” he asked, his voice barely a whisper. </p><p>akaashi shook his head and hugged bokuto back, sighing as he rested his head against his chest. he loved being held by bokuto, and right now all he wanted to do was escape in his arms. but he had to face his problems. </p><p>“can we sit?” he asked. his voice felt weak and it sounded small, and so unlike him. bokuto nodded quickly and sat down, taking both of his hands into his as akaashi sat across from him. he took a deep breath, and then started explaining.</p><p>“my parents want me to stop tutoring you.” he began, and immediately bokuto’s eyes went into panic. akaashi squeezed his hands reassuringly. “i don’t usually talk back or stand up to my parents, but this time i did. i don’t want that, bokuto-san. you’re doing so well.. and i also get to spend time with you. i don’t want that to end, ever.” he continued, letting out shaky but steady breaths. “speaking up for myself is considered rude in my house. my parents kicked me out, and the only way i could go back is if i apologize.” he told him. </p><p>bokuto’s eyes went from panic, to relief, to worry in about the fifteen seconds akaashi was talking. he looked down. “kaashi.. we can still see each other if you don’t tutor—“</p><p>“no, bokuto-san. i enjoy tutoring you. i like seeing you thrive in your classes, and it makes me feel good that i helped with that. i won’t let them stop this.” akaashi spoke sternly, but he couldn’t deny that his voice was beginning to shake. because openly defying and disobeying his parents led to one thing, and he didn’t want to think about it.</p><p>“but.. what will you do? they kicked you out.” bokuto asked, shaking his head. “i can’t let you jeopardize living at home just because—“</p><p>it was very unlike akaashi to interrupt bokuto twice in a row. usually he loved hearing him speak, but right now, he couldn’t. “bokuto-san, i’ve thought about this since they told me to get out.” he looked him in the eye, and made sure bokuto was making eye contact. “as dramatic as this may sound, i won’t be leaving home. i’ll be escaping.” his voice cracked. </p><p>bokuto’s eyes softened and he quickly sat up, pulling akaashi up as well to hug him from across the table. akaashi let him, putting his arms around his shoulders. “i don’t know what i’ll do yet, but i don’t want to stop seeing you ever.” he mumbled against his chest. he ignored the stares they were getting from other students in the library. bokuto smiled and kissed the top of akaashi’s head before pulling away. </p><p>“live with me!” bokuto said, a little too enthusiastically. akaashi’s eyes widened and he shook his head. </p><p>“i couldn’t ask that of you. i’ll probably spend the night at iwaizumi’s before—“ </p><p>“please, kaash! at least spend the night with me! my mom wants to meet you anyway! and if you change your mind, i promise she’d let you live with us! please! consider it.” it was impossible to say no to bokuto, especially when he was making his best puppy dog eyes. his eyes were bad enough, but when he wanted something? no was out of the question. </p><p>“just the night.” akaashi told him, raising an eyebrow. he looked away from bokuto and smiled a bit, letting go of him, but taking his hand. “let’s skip this session. people are staring enough.” he told him. plus, he didn’t want to be in a public library right now. </p><p>“where do you wanna go?” bokuto asked, and akaashi couldn’t help but smile at the idea that popped into his head. </p><p>“let’s go to the gym and practice some tosses.” akaashi told him, and bokuto’s face and entire being practically lit up like a christmas tree.</p>
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